RussiaxReader Blue Bell Dream
by Icy Rose Petal
Summary: RussiaxReader Insert. I do not own Hetalia nor its amazing characters. Please enjoy. P.S. What I call a chapter might be short pieces. This might be a bit different from normal Reader Inserts. Critique is greatly welcomed! Update Info: In the Progress of changing to first person. Please read as if you are the person.
1. Chapter 1

I sat there numbly, staring out the window onto the big city just appearing over the horizon. I sighed, hugging your bag tighter. My name isn't that important. I came from a little village in the meadow lands and for the first time, was going to Golden Bell City. I shivered, looking around quickly at all the faces around me on the train. One man, someone with beautiful blond hair and really striking blue eyes gave me a quick smirk. I looked back out the window, blushing. I noticed that the man next to him, dark blond hair with really noticeable, bushy eyebrows was scowling. I wondered if they were contestants at the festival too. I should probably mention the festival, called Galldore Festival, is a giant event held in Golden Bell City every year, and lasts about a week or so. It's a food festival of course and people around the world were coming. Guess that includes me too… I leaned against the cold glass window with a sigh.

As I stepped out of the train, my eyes adjusting against the glaring sunbeams, I gasped. There were thousands of people just outside the front gates. I felt a hand on myshoulder and turned around sharply. My eyes met once again with the man's eyes from the train. He smiled a drop dead gorgeous smile. I felt my face flame up.

"Ah, where is a little belle fil like you doing in a grande city like this?" He said, still smiling. His voice had a thick French accent. I couldn't help but blush even more.

"I-I'm looking for my teacher…" I said, stumbling on my every word.

Okay, so yeah, my real reason for coming here wasn't that I was going to be a contestant. I had read up about this one guy named Ivan Braginski who came from a frozen little tourist town called Aelite. It was said he had won at Golden Bell City's Galldore Festival, different categories at once, many times. I were instantly inspired and all of my friends said my skills were so good that I should try to enter at least once. So I emailed him, which I was kind of surprised to find he even had one, asking to be his apprentice. After many weeks (or months….), he emailed back.

~_Dear madam,_

_I am pleased to hear and honored that you would like to become my apprentice._

_After giving it some thought, I decided to accept._

_I would be honored to work with you at the Golden Bell City._

_See you there._

_Ivan~_

I mentally died that day. So, here I am, practically lost at this big city and realizing just now I never thought to ask him where to meet up.

While lost in thought, I didn't notice the other man from the train had just walked up, carrying luggage.

"Bloody wanker, leave me to carry all of your luggage…" The first simply turned to look at the other, his hand still on my shoulder.

"Forgive me mon ami; I was simply helping a little lost lamb find her way." He turned back to me and smiled. "My name is Francis Bonnefoy and this is my…. acquaintance, Arthur Kirkland." The one called Arthur was currently looking at a map. He glanced up at me, nodded and looked back down. "Now, petit agneau, have you ever been here before?" I shook my head, staring at the ground. When I glanced up, I saw Francis smiling. Like a really sweet smile. "Then, will you allow us to accomplish you to the cooking grounds? It's possible that your teacher might be there." He glanced over at Arthur, who was purposely ignoring him. I let out a nervous giggle. _I guess it's better than getting lost_. I then nodded. Francis picked up my bags, took my hand and led me to the gates, Arthur grumbling while he followed behind with the rest of the bags.


	2. Chapter 2

I was glad Francis and Arthur was there because I would have been bumping into people everywhere as I couldn't help but stared up at the buildings. They don't call it Golden Bell for nothing. White buildings stood proud and gleaming in the light. There were bright colors everywhere, and smells filled the air. Flowers were all around and along the paths. Reaching out to touch a particularly pretty rose, I bumped into a man with red hair and an unusual curl on the left side of his face. He looked at me, murmured "permesso" and continued on his way. A girl with interesting colored hair in a ponytail and a big smile carrying a pot followed him. She turned to me, nodded, and continued after the man. I felt a little lost. Francis laughed.

"Looks like Feliciano has an apprentice!" I watched the pair has the slipped through the crowd. Which brought a question to my mind.

"Um, Francis? What does an apprentice do exactly?" He looked at me surprised.

"Well, an apprentice does most of the chores for a teacher and helps out around the kitchen while the teacher teaches the apprentice their trade. Moi, for example, would teach the secrets about bakery items, something bushy over there can't seem to get the hang of." Arthur shot him a glare.

"You want to say something Froggy?" Istifled a giggle while watching people pass by. Arthur coughed. "I believe we should stop dawdling and get to the grounds. Wouldn't want to make your teacher wait. By the way…. What's your teacher's name?"

"Huh?" I responded, still taking in the scene. "Oh, he's Ivan. Ivan Braginski"

"WHAT?!" I jumped and turned to Arthur. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief at the same time. Francis shared the same look. They glanced at each other. I frowned.

"Something the matter?"

After a pause, Francis spoke up. "Non, there is nothing wrong. I'm just surprised Ivan even took on an apprentice, after last incident….." I perked up.

"What happened last time?" I asked, barely able to keep the curiosity out of my voice.

"Um… Wel-"

"Nothing important happened" Arthur interrupted briskly. "It doesn't concern any of us what happened. Let us go." And with that he started walking briskly to a huge building to the east of the huge steps that lead deeper into the town. Francis sighed and gave me an apologetic look before going after the English man. Still dazed with what just happened, I followed. _What am I getting myself into?_


	3. Chapter 3

As we approached the bazar like building, I made note of the sign out front. It read

~_Galldore Festival! _

_Come one and all. _

_Cook Offs _

_Saturday 8:00 to 3:00 _

_Sunday 1:00 to5:00_

I shivered nervously. The conversation a few minutes ago still rang in my ears. I wasn't paying attention and bumped into Francis. He turned around and smiled.

"Your teacher should be on the main level. He is the one with beige silver hair and wears a scarf. You can't miss him." He handed me my bags. "Though if you do…" He chuckled, "Just come up to the 2nd floor to room 212 and find me or Arthur. Salut mes amie." Arthur gave a small nod. I could see a look of worry in his eyes as they turned and went through the doors. I shivered involuntary. Casting one final glance around, I went up and pushed through the heavy doors. I attempted to stifle a gasp. The inside was magnificent! The walls were made out of marble, the tables and chairs were made out of oak that was beautifully furnished and carved with elaborate designs. And of course, many of them were full of people talking. I, in a way, floated to the desk where a man, with black hair that had a piece that sort of flipped out at the top and glasses, was busy filling out forms. He glanced up at me, quickly looking me over and sighed.

"Zis place izn't open to ze public. Do you have proper authorization?" His voice had an extremely thick Germany or…. Austrian accent? I couldn't quite place it. I sat there, rocking back and forth on my heels, unsure what to do. He sighed once again. "I zaid, do you have proper authorization? Are you a contestant or something? If not, would you pleaze kindly leave."

"I'm Mr. Bragniski's apprentice…" I finally mumbled out. The man looked through his files.

"Bragniski, Bragniski….B…. ah, here we are." He said as he pulled out a rather slim file. He pulled out and looked through the papers, frowning. I held my breath. "Ah, I see… A Miz [F/N and L/N], is it not?" I nodded. "Good, good. Here iz your badge." The badge was a plastic hard card in one of those plastic slot things attached to a black yarn that looped around, as if it was a necklace. I accepted it, looking at the card, my chest swelling with pride. "Pleaze refrain from going upstairz without your teacher. Why don't you zit over zere" His hand waved vaguely to the tables. "Mr. Bragniski should arrive zortly." He looked down again at his paper work. I smiled.

"Thank you very much Mr…" I glanced over at his own badge. Roderich Edelstein "Mr. Edelstein." He just nodded. I walked over to one of the only tables open and sat down, placing my bags at my feet. I stared at your badge, looking over all the details.

~Galldore Festival~

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Occupation: Apprentice

They got my name right… which was rare. I looked over it one more time before placing it around my neck. It… felt right in a way. Like it belonged. Suddenly, a shadow appeared across the table. I looked up, staring right into the face of the girl from before. She had big pretty eyes that shined in a way. They easily complimented her hair, which was still up in a ponytail. She was wearing a white chef outfit with a green bandana around her neck; similar outfit to the man, Feliciano was it? She looked to be about my age.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully. I murmured a hello, feeling really nervous. She didn't seem daunted by it. "What's your name? Mine is Ashley! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"My name is… it's a pleasure to meet you too."

"So are you an apprentice too or a full fledge chef! It would be odd if you were a chef though, seeing that you look my age. Though what if your one of those people who look super young…. Are you one of those people?" I blinked.

"Um, no. I'm an apprentice"

"Oh, sweet! That makes us the same! Though that also makes us rivals later." I let out a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess that does. So are you new here?"

"Nope! I was here last year with Feli. Now that was scary… but anyway, who is your Mentor?"

"Ivan." Ashley let out a small gasp.

"Oh dear… I hope it works out…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've heard rumors that Mr. Bragniski is strict! And that he does some super dangerous stuff… I also heard that one year someone asked to be his apprentice and he out rightly refused in front of everybody. Something about the kid wouldn't survive or such… That and every morning and/or night he goes out to the middle of the town. And no one knows why…" She glanced over at my worried expression and added "All we know is his smoothies are the best! And besides, they are just rumors. You will be fine!"

"I hope so…" I sighed.

"Don't let it get you down." Suddenly from behind her the man from before walked up. I stood up.

"Hello!" He said cheerful. 'You're the one from before! Sorry about bumping into you early. I'm-"

"Feliciano. Francis told me" He looked surprised than smiled.

"So I guess you have met Ashley already huh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you… umm..."

"Her name is really cute!" Ashley butted in. She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Ah, I see. Well then, farewell for now." He smiled and dragged Ashley away. She waved at me excitedly. I laughed and waved back. Looks like I made a friend. Though my cheer didn't last long. What Ashley said came back to me and I shivered. I hoped what she said wasn't true… though I didn't have time to respond. I heard a voice behind me.

"Ah! You must be my new apprentice!"


	4. Chapter 4

I turned around and looked towards the owner of the voice, which had a Russian accent. He was very tall; then again I wasn't so big myself… and was wearing a scarf, jeans and a chef-like over coat. His badge hung around his neck, which verified what I already knew. Like the fact he was about 21. It was more colorful than mine, partly because of how many times he has won. His eyes were a pretty amethyst purple and he really did have silver-blonde hair with bangs that brushed to the left across his forehead, just above his eyes. He looked me up and down with a look of approval as I blushed. He didn't look as bad as the rumors made him sound. Finally he looked at my face and smiled. He held out his hand, which I took. "Nice to meet you! As you probably already know, my name is Ivan Bragniski and I will be your comrade."

I walked up the stairs, Ivan carrying my stuff. He was explaining about my room and stuff and routines but I barely heard most of his words. My stomach had intense butterflies flying. my mind was swirling, thinking about the rumors. _How could they be true? Was there something he was hiding? Was he just misunderstood?_ My head hurt just thinking about it.

"Hey? Are you listening? HEEEEEEEY?!"

"Huh?"

"Ah, I see. So you weren't listening." He smiled. "Well, I guess since you came from the country like I did, this is entirely new to you…" He looked away, his eyes almost looking far away. Another smile played across his lips and he chuckled quietly. I couldn't help but blush. Just a little. As we walked up the stair case to the third floor, I glanced out the windows I passed them. I could see the whole east side of town and the fields beyond it, all the way to the forests. It was breathtaking. It also in a way reminded me of home.

When we got to the 3rd floor, we both walked down the halls a way to room 332. Ivan slide out two card keys and handed one to me. The other one he used to open the door. "Now remember not to lose that." I nodded. He walked in, with me trailing behind. While looking around at the room, I wondered how much Ivan, or whoever, spent on it. It an open hallway like any other hotel room with two bathrooms across from each other. I had expected to see like two beds next to each other in front of a TV, like the hotel I once went to. But instead, it led to a living room, with a balcony at the front and two hallways on either side of that that must have led to different bedrooms. The living room itself was big, with a table off to the side and two couches. There was a TV in the front upper corner, near the balcony. And a desk in the other corner. To top it all off, there was a chandelier hanging over head. Ivan walked to the couch, placed his and my bags down and stretched. I went over at the balcony, which looked over the fields. And I thought the view from the stair windows were good. From the balcony, I could see the train tracks and the hills, which looked like gentle slopes. Beyond that, there were the woods, with their dark eeriness but yet beauty. I was so busy looking out; I hadn't noticed that Ivan was standing right beside me.

"I always love this view." He said, making me jump. I turned around as he went back to the bags. "Your room is down the hallway to the right when we entered. So is the bathroom corresponding to it. When you are done putting stuff away, meet me at the table so I can re-explain what I said on the stairs." I murmured a yes and walked to my room. It was… huge. The whole room was shades of my favorite color. In the middle there was a poster bed with light colored sheets. Off to the side there was a dark brown dresser. I went over to it first. I ran my hands over the carvings. It was smooth to the touch and cool in a way. Opening the top draw, I found there were two clothes already in there. Puzzled, I took them out and examined them. A dark cloak unraveled to the ground, rippling as it moved. It looked to be my size, which was odd… I folded it up and placed it back, taking out the second, which was a chef-like top but smaller and very slim. It was made with a light airy fabric from what I could tell. I was tempted to try it on but decided against it. Replacing it, I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in." Ivan opened it slowly and walked in.

"I just wanted to see if you found the clothes." He glances at the open drawer. "The white top is part of the uniform and the cloak… is for other things." I was slightly puzzled by why he said the last part slowly. I was about to inquire over the other things when he turned to the clothes in my bag. "You haven't even started to unpack! Here, let me help you"

"Umm, ah" I was going to protest but decided against it. It might not be good to argue with my mentor. He was also just trying to help.

While unpacking, my mind wandered, thinking of home. I suddenly recalled with some relief the fact that this room wasn't an ordinarily hotel room. At least I could prove to my brother Casey that technically I didn't share a room with a guy. I glanced over at Ivan as he stood up and left, leaving the only thing unpacked was my undergarments… so at least he did have some sense of privacy. I was starting to like Ivan more and more, besides my first inertial feeling. I sighed and shook my head. With one last look around, I walked back out to the living room. Ivan was sitting at the table, concentrating on a paper, probably some sort of contract or payment or something. When he heard me walk in, he looked up at me and half smiled. He got up from his spot and walked over to where I stood.

"We are going out to the kitchen. And this time, can you please try to pay attention."

"Yes sir!"


	5. Chapter 5

The kitchen, which was actually basically only where the elite chefs cooked, who were called masters and such, was huge. The counters were brown tiled with a coat of glaze over them to make it smooth. There were many compartments with specific machinery and parts in each one. There were already a few people in there as we walked in. A girl with curly blond hair sat on a stool, listening to two brothers (as Ivan told me later) argue on what was the proper was of preparing sausage. The taller one with short blonde hair neatly smoothed back kept sighing as he looked at the other, an albino to my understanding with a bird on his head, with exasperation. The girl looked over at me and waved. I nodded as we continued on. The other person there we passed was an older, kind of shorter man with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was leaning over a tea pot, muttering something about it not being strong enough and sometimes saying aru or such? (When I asked Ivan, he said that was Yao Wang) Finally we reached the back corner. It was decorated with a basket full of really strange fruit and a blander and some other mixing tools. Ivan motioned me to the stool, which was tucked away at the corner. Sitting on it, I was able to see eye to eye with Ivan.

"I kind of forgot to mention what I specialize. I'm called the master of smoothies." He blushed a little. It was cute in a way. Following that, Ivan taught me my roles, which was mostly cleaning when he was cooking and measuring, etc. Then he started teaching me how to tell what tastes will go together. By the end of the day, which I didn't notice passed by, we were the only two left in the kitchen. It was already dark outside. Ivan glanced at the clock.

"I think we should call it a day." I nodded, not noticing till now how exhausted I was. I was having a hard time staying awake as we walked up the stairs, not noticing that I was leaning on Ivan till we had gotten to the room. After taking a hot bath and other preparations, I walked to my room, bidding Ivan a good night as I passed him. Once in my room, I threw myself onto the bed, the scent of the shampoo still lingering in my hair. The blankets were softer than they looked. I felt myself slipping away instantly, thinking of Ivan as I fell asleep.

This was how our days went for the next 8 days. Though sometimes I wouldn't see Ivan in the morning or he would disappear at night. During that time I got to know many of the masters and their apprentices. Sometimes we would talk while our mentors worked. Everyday Ivan taught me new things, some being general information, some for the preparation for the upcoming festival. I even got to try his smoothies sometimes. I was even getting a hang of things and becoming quite comfortable. A little too comfortable around Ivan but whatever. It wasn't until my 8th night there that I ever thought of the rumors. It started with dreaming. That night, my dreams were plagued with shadows, continuously popping up in front of me. I kept hearing voices, warnings whispering to beware. Faces flickered past my face as I started running through a long hall. I could feel the breath of something chasing me, felt its freezing breath crawl across my back. My body ached all over and I nearly tripped as I ran. Cold fingers curled around my ankle. I screamed, jolting awake to find Ivan gently shaking me. Concern was written all over his face. On impulse, I curled up against him. I could feel him stiffen. A few seconds later, he wrapped his arms around me, holding me as I shivered. After a few moments he let go and got up, off the bed. He looked around the room than back at me, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"There is something I haven't told you… Something I should probably show you how…" He sighed and brushed his bangs to the side, just to have them fall back. Wordlessly, he walked out of the room, closing the door. I got up from the bed, still shaking slightly. From the nightmare or something else, I couldn't tell. Going through the draws, I saw the black cloak was missing. I didn't ponder on this for long as I slipped into jeans and a T-shirt with a sweater over it. I brushed my hair and made my bed before meeting Ivan in the living room.

I was walking to the stairway which led to the inner part of the city. The sun was just beginning to shed its lights about the streets as we walked wordlessly to the stairs. Looking down, I noticed that the stairs, which were pure white, were covered in blue water. Now that I studied it, I realized there was water pouring out from the top of the steps and coming down in a small stream. With a deep breath, I broke the silence.

"Ivan?"

"Mmm?"

"Why is there blue water pouring down the steps?" Ivan chuckled.

"Supposedly it's to cleanse the pain away from all who walk into the inner city. This actually, is underground." I was still confused.

"But why?" Ivan stopped and turned to me.

"They believe that most people in this world carry some sort of pain. So they hope that walking through the cool water to the inside of the city will lift the wander's spirit. At least for a little bit. It's an old superstition."

"Oh… okay." He continued to walk up the steps. And for a moment, I wondered if the water actually did work…

At the top of the steps there lies and entrance to a subway, which leads one to the heart of the city. The subway isn't though the same as the outside. It was more dark and dreary. I watched people scowl at me as they walked by while Ivan flashed the recipient his badge. I looked at the odd little turn-y gate thing, which Ivan briskly pushed me through. The subway itself was packed with people. Wearily, Ivan sat down. I wondered if he stayed up long last night or if it was the thing he was going to show me that was stressing him. Looking around, I noticed there was neither seat nor room for myself, unless I wanted to sit by some really shady looking guys. I glanced at Ivan and felt like being bold.

"Hey Ivan, can I maybe sit on your lap?" I asked hopefully. He looked up at me surprised than chuckled. He didn't say anything and opened his arms. I sat against him, trying not to completely lean in to him as his arms wrapped around my waist. I could feel his breath on my neck. Feeling a little awkward, I started blabbing about my home and asking about his life at home. I could feel him smiling the whole time as he talked about the snow and even told me some Russian phrases. He spoke all this very quietly, since my head was so close to his. I could feel myself deepening in red color as he practically whispered in my ear. Maybe so others around couldn't hear but sometimes I wondered.

When we reached our stop, Ivan started acting all nervous. As I got off the subway, he kept looking around, jumping at every shadow. At the time I simply followed him, just thinking he was being paranoid. We took a left from the subway and walked a ways. The underground of Golden Bell City is nothing like the outer part. The outer part is more like Greek temples and ancient structures while the inner would be modern technology. The walls were covered with wires and gears, all covered in black. Music could be heard from anywhere. Not soft music but blaring loud that was at a distance. We never seemed to get closer or farther from it. After a while, we stopped at a dead end. Ivan sighed and turned around to face me. His purple eyes were clouded with dread it seemed, making them darker. He stood very still for a moment. Finally he sighed and simply turned away. I released my breath, not realizing I was holding on to it. Ivan, without warning, started walking swiftly, right through the wall. I looked around nervously then followed him. I anticipated slamming into the wall but it felt… odd that I could slip past it. The hidden door led to a stair case. Ivan reached backwards and grabbed my hand. Slowly, he walked down the stairs, gently tugging me after him. It was perfectly still, in an almost deadly way. I kept my eyes to Ivan's back, fearing I would start seeing things. My nightmare came back to me but I shrugged it away. Finally, Ivan stopped. A few feet away from us, there stood a door. It was completely black with a silver handle. Ivan glanced back at me one final time, his eyes filled with indecision. He went to the door and turned the handle.


	6. Chapter 6

A humid blast of air blew into my face as the door slid open to reveal complete darkness. Ivan muttered something while grabbing my hand and pulling me close to him.

"Listen to my every order and stay close" He whispered. I nodded, shaking slightly. He released my hand and moved into the room. I gentle grabbed onto his scarf, letting it lead me. With a quick motion, he flicked on a light switch. The whole room lit up, a blazed with light. I gasped as my eyes adjusted. The room, like most things in this town, was huge. But it wasn't just the size of the room. It was what was in it. Plants were everywhere, clinging onto walls, hanging overhead. The room swirled with smells of berries and fruits. There were mushrooms of all colors on the ground, though they weren't normal looking mushrooms. These were huge, like everything else in the room. Every single fruit on each tree, bush, and vine was expanded in size and were bright colors. Some of them I recognized as the ones Ivan had at the kitchen. Except these seemed more juicer that those ones. There were also stairs, leading to different parts of sections with different plants. I started to move forward but Ivan instantly brought up a hand to stop me. Slowly, he took a step forward. I could see him holding his breath, as if waiting for something. Without warning, the lights flickered a bit. It was just a second but it was still noticeable. Ivan tensed. He instantly started backing up, pushing into me. I gave out a startled yelp as the lights went completely out. The room was suddenly filled with a moan and a voice crackling. It all happened so fast. I could feel Ivan shoving me out the door, as there was a wind rushing. I toppled over. Looking back, I could just make out the form of a huge shadow of a man with claws and any horrible thing one could think of. The form was continuously changing though. And I could see blood red eyes with a glowing pupil in the middle, staring at me. My heart leaped up into my throat. The voice started getting louder and louder. I saw Ivan's hand shoot out as he brushed it against the wall, the light switch I presumed. The voice started howling in dismay, and I could barely work out the words.

"No…no… NOOOOOO!" Its voice was horrible. It rumbled out like thunder but was as high pitched as nails scratching against a chalkboard. Ivan was latching onto the door and was pushing it close when it sounded like something was slamming against the door. I could see the strain on his face as he pushed his back onto the door. Finally it shut with a click. Ivan slid against the door to the ground. He had his eyes closed. We sat there in silence. There was some scratching on the door from the other side but other than that nothing moved. Ivan sighed and got up. He held out a hand for me and I delicately took it. He looked down at the ground for a little bit and then looked up at me.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I had hoped that he wouldn't react but…"

"What was that?" I whispered, barely able to speak. I hadn't noticed till now how much I was shaking. Ivan looked into my eyes sadly and walked me over to the bench, sitting down. I sat next to him and stared up at the metallic cavern ceiling. We were once again drenched in silence. I could feel his heart thumping as he tried to calm down. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

"That was a shape shifter… Which is the only way to describe them since they have no true shape." He let out a quiet chuckle. "They will feed on any living flesh and like to play games. Though… they hate to lose." An angry moan escaped from behind the door. I involuntarily shivered. Ivan grinned grimly. "Of course they always have some way that accidently announces their presence. Though, as you saw, they are great for their surroundings. They somehow enhance it…" I looked over at the door. Then a thought occurred to me.

"So you want me to do that, to go in there?"

Ivan tensed as he glanced over at me. He bowed his head in shame.

"No, technically not…" His voice was full of uncertainty. I stood up and stared at him. He looked up sheepishly. Everything started to make sense in a way.

"How?"

"How what?" He looked so sad I started feeling really sorry for him. I took a deep breath.

"How did it get there?"

"Oh, you mean that." He looked relieved in a way. "Simple. Someone had it in a cage which broke inside the room and it was force to live in there." He looked at my puzzled face and quickly explained. "A shape shifter can only leave a containment if the seal, or in this case a door, is broken. Though they can stretch limbs through open doors without actually leaving the room..." He went quiet suddenly, as if he said too much. I gave him a sympathetic look.

"So why did you show me?"

"Well…" He looked up at me sheepishly. I stifled down a nervous giggle. "You're my apprentice and… I trust you. That and…" He coughed and glanced at the door. "I figured it would be better if someone else knew…" He blushed. I sighed and smiled at him. _So at least he isn't some criminal or something. Though…_ I frowned. _This does still seem really odd._ _But whatever._ I sighed again. Ivan instantly stared at me, tensing up. I half smiled at him and he seemed to relax, a little.

"Well, since we are here, teach me." He briefly looked surprised before becoming all business like. He stood up and faced me.

"Of course."

I never knew how hard it would be to attempt to go inside the room. We tried at least 2 more times before finally succeeding, each time similar as the first. Each time I was convinced that we would give up but Ivan kept reopening the door and walked calmly in. Myself, not so much. I was a nervous wreck. Even when it was finally safe to go in, I kept jumping at shadows as we walked to the plants, despite Ivan's reassurance that it would be safe. He started talking of how to decide which ones to pick, how to check if it's ripe, the works. My mind was still drifting over the shape shifter when I felt something being pushed through my lips. It tasted extremely bitter. Surprised, I attempted to spit it out but Ivan's fingers kept it in. Only till he knew I had swallowed it did he pull his fingers away. He laughed.

"Now that is what a bad Blue Bell taste like." His face was all business like but his eyes were smiling. "Pay attention please. This," He said as he plucked another blue berry off of a light green leafed bush, "should be better." He once again pushed it against my mouth. My lips slightly opened as he pushed the berry softly into my mouth. As I bit into it, my mouth was instantly filled with sweet-ness. I couldn't help but smile. Ivan's face lit up as he watched me. "Blue Bell Berries are my favorite! They make the best smoothies plus they have extremely pretty flowers. Almost as beautiful as sunflowers." He chuckled as he wiped away some juice from my cheek. I blushed. _I really have to learn to keep it under control_. If he noticed, he didn't say anything, turning away to explain how to pick certain berries. He took out a two bags, handing one to me, and started picking the berries. Twist and pull. Twist and pull. My first attempts were very unsuccessful. By the time I had plucked my first berry correctly, my hands were covered in juice.

We were in that room for most of the rest of the day. By the time we had finished, the sun was beginning it's descend. I had several bags full of all kinds of fruit. As I walked to the subway, Ivan was telling me the schedule for tomorrow. Mostly cooking and stuff. As I neared the subway, I saw something move swiftly from the corner of my eye. It was some sort of figure in a black cloak. I stopped for a moment and turned to look. Ivan stopped too.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just thought I saw something." I turned back to look at him. He was tense, worry written all over his face. Without a word, he continued walking quickly back to the subway. Confused, I followed him. He was silent for most of the way there. I didn't have to sit in his lap, probably couldn't anyway. He kept his graze down to the floor, obviously lost in thought. A random guy accidently bumped into him and he snapped his head up, glaring. The guy yelped and murmured apologizes as he fled. Ivan resumed his previous stance, muttering darkly. Sometimes he glanced over at me, his eyes now a dark midnight purple but he always looked away, shaking his head. The walk home was painfully silent. It was getting dark outside. As we walked in, Roderich looked up from his paperwork, nodded a hello and continued to work. I murmured a greeting as Ivan just passed the desk. As we walked up the stairs, I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. It was only when we reached the 2nd floor that he finally spoke.

"Leave the bags here. I will put them away. Just go to the room. I will see you tomorrow." I was tempted to stay and argue but I didn't want to make him mad. So I gently placed the bags down and walked up stairs, leaving him to his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

That night I tossed and turned. I dreamed of the Shape shifter. He stood in the corner of the room and had the figure of a man. As if sensing me, he turned around and smiled a grin full of fangs. Unable to move, I stood still as he walked slowly up to me, his fingers brushing against my face. I cringed against his cold hands.

"I wonder…" He began to muse softly as he played with my hair, twirling it around his fingers, "If you could help me..." He tugged on a strand of hair and watched as it fell. "I want freedom, you want… certain things." He smiled smugly. "Or, at least, wouldn't want to lose… certain things." He stared straight into my eyes. I started to feel squeamish. I attempted to turn my head but obviously couldn't. He grinned even more and threw his head back with laughter. It echoed across the entire room, eerily stirring. His hands started to mutate as he slowly grew bigger. He tipped my head up as he pulled his face closer. His breath was freezing cold as he crackled. "It would be wise for you to heed my words my sweet." And with that, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as I jolted awake. I looked down and saw that there was a shallow cut across my torso. Sighing, I got out of bed. As I started rearranging the thrown around blankets and pillows, something glinted as it rolled off the bed and onto the floor. Frowning, I leaned over and picked up a pretty fair sized pin. I looked around, wondering how it could have gotten there. The bead on it was slick black in the shape of a moon. _Maybe Ivan will know what it is._ I placed it on the dresser and got dressed. I looked over at the clock on the wall and groaned. Only 4:14. I picked up the pin, slipped it into the jean pocket and made my way to the living room.

There was no sign of Ivan but there was a note on the table under a large glass of a blue smoothie. I carefully slid the note from under the drink and read it.

~_Apprentice_

_I am sorry for the way I acted last night. _

_Please don't be crossed with me. I was a little… On edge at the time. _

_I deeply regret that I must be absent today for the masters have a meeting which I completely forgot. So today you may roam around and speak to other apprentices and such. Though I forbid you to go to the inner part of the city._

_Also, as you can see, on top of this note is a smoothie. It is a mixture of blue bells and sunflower seeds with a hint of strawberry, my own creation._

_I hope you enjoy it as much as I do._

_Ivan~_

I smiled at Ivan's formality and took a sip of the smoothie. I nearly dropped it, it tasted so amazing! The sweet-ness of the blue bells was enhanced by the strawberry, the sunflower seeds preventing it from being overly sweet. I wondered if he took his time in making it. Glancing at the clock again, I sat on the couch with my drink and turned on the TV. I moved onto my side to get comfortable and jumped as I felt something jab into my side. I pulled the pin out of my pocket and swore. Grumbling, I stormed over and slammed the pin on to the table and plopped back on the couch. I took another sip of the smoothie and instantly felt better. I resumed watching TV.

Weather: High of 80. Completely sunny. No slim chance of rain or snow. Bored, I turned off the TV. I rolled onto my stomach and stared at the empty glass on the coffee table. The light coming through the window shined through the glass, creating a blue shadow. Sitting up, I picked up the glass, looking at it. The design had snowflakes around the brim that were different colors. The glass felt cool in my hand as I turned it around. There were small chips in it, not enough or big enough to be noticeable. I glanced at the cloak on the wall. 10 to 7. _There are probably people up by now. _Getting up, I placed the cup on the table. I looked over at the pin but shook my head, deciding against placing it back into my pocket. Grabbing my card key and badge, I left for the kitchen.

As I opened the door and slipped in, I noticed there were three other people already in there, Gabby, Amy and Ashley. I had met Gabby and Amy earlier in the week while working with Ivan. Amy had really pretty dark brown hair with light green eyes that had light orange around her pupil. She was petite but really smart. She was apprenticed to Cici, who made amazing bread dishes and rivaled Francis's pastries with her brownies. Gabby was light blond with sky blue eyes. She was goofy but a hard worker. She was apprenticed to Ludwig and Gilbert (and Gilbird). The German brothers specialized in beer brewing and meat, sausages being their peaks. Ashley was, of course, apprenticed to Feliciano, who was amazing at pasta. She noticed me first and ran over, smiling.

"Hey Bestie! How are you?!" I smiled.

"I'm fine. How are you guys?" By that time, Gabby came ran over and glomped me. Amy smiled and walked over.

"We were thinking, since the masters are away, that we should take over the kitchen and have a cooking party. That way we can practice and impress our mentors." I froze in a way, already starting to get worried. Gabby noticed and let go.

"Don't worry! It's not like we are going to attempt extremely had courses. If we did that, things would probably explode!" I still weren't completely sure. Ashley poked my shoulder.

"It was just an idea anyway. There isn't much we can do… Feli forbad me to leave the building." She sighed. I perked up.

"Why?" Amy turned to me.

"Well, usually apprentices shouldn't be out and about when there is a meeting. In case we accidently stumble onto it." She shrugged. "It's always been that way."

"Oh… Okay…" I looked over to the food that was already laid out on the counter. Maybe we could have a little party, just to past time anyway. _Better than watching TV anyway._ For a popular city, they sure do have the worst channels ever. Except for the morning show with Kiku Honda, whom I had met in person when he was interviewing the contestants early this week. Ivan had strongly disapproved of it. At the thought of Ivan, I suddenly felt lonely. I sighed and looked at Gabby. As if following my train of thought, she put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a small encouraging smile. I gave a weak smile back. Ashley, feeling awkward because of the silence, spoke up.

"Sooo, we should cook! There isn't anything else to do!" Amy and I nodded. Gabby jumped up and down in excitement.

"Let's each make 4 of a specific course and put them together in the end to make an amazing dinner!" Ashley jumped on the idea right away.

"I get main course! I hope you guys like pasta cause I am making some pasta!" She ran right over her station. Gabby and I shared an amused look. Amy sighed.

"I take desert." She grabbed some of the ingredients off of the table, which Ashley ran back to, to do the same thing. Gabby groaned sarcastically.

"I guess that means I get entree." I giggled.

"So I get drinks?" Ashley looked up from her progress and grinned at me.

"Of course! Show us what Mr. Bragniski has to teach! Wow us with mouthwatering awesomeness!" She looked back at the flour she was working with. I walked to the corner section and opened the cabinets to pull out some of the berries that were picked yesterday. I whistled as I examined Ivan's handy work. There were labels on all of the bags and listing of qualities. Pulling out a note that was set up in front, I glanced over it quickly. It gave suggestions on different combos and how to exactly blend each fruit. I started debating over doing Strawberry Sunrise or Banana Swirl when I noticed one combo with Blue Bell berries. It was called Frozen Bells. I glanced over the recipe, which didn't look too hard. The little side note said it should be tangy-sweet if properly made. Smiling, I slid out the ingredients and tools. I started to prepare the counter the way Ivan taught me…

"_Today we are going to make a simple Banana Strawberry smoothie." Ivan said to me, smiling as I put my hair up. I gave it one finally fix and then turned to watch him. Cici and Amy were a few sections down making some type of bread salad course with eggs. From where I stood, it smelled really good. Though I knew not to look over. When I did that before, Ivan impatiently threw grapes at me. One landed in Ashley's pasta. She wasn't too pleased. I accidently giggled at the thought and Ivan sighed. "As I said, we are going to make a simple smoothie." He started taking fruits out of the cabinet. "What is the first step?" I looked down._

"_Um… wash them?" Ivan scoffed._

"_Besides the obvious?"_

"_Oh… um, throw them in the blender and turn it on?" Ivan sighed._

"_That would be to make a normal smoothie. But what I'm going to teach you is more… preparation. Like cutting up the fruit, doing things to them to enhance taste. How to order them in the mixer, stuff like that. Do you understand?" I nodded. Then with a thought, I shook my head. Ivan shook his head in response. "I thought so. Well than, let's take it from the top…"_

The moonlight spilled into the room as I set up some of the sections as tables. The room was filled with all kinds of smells. I glanced at the brownies setting out, chocolate sauce drizzled over it. My stomach growled as I pushed the chairs in place. When that was done, we all gathered around. Gabby was smiling from ear to ear.

"Come on! Let's sit down and eat! I'm dying to try the smoothies." She winked at me. Ashley gave the pasta one final stir before carrying over and placing it on a hot pad. Amy carried her brownies closer. She looked around and nodded.

"We should probably serve up the entrée with the main course and drinks at the same time. Desert will be last." We all nodded. She smiled. "Wait here while I get the music." She plugged her IPod into a Laptop. Instrumentals softly sounded, filling the room up with its sound. I placed the 4 glasses full of smoothie at each plate while Gabby placed little plates with different kinds of sausages on it. Ashley scooped pasta on everyone's plate. Amy cut up the brownies for later. When everyone finished their tasks, we all sat down. With glances all around, we nodded and began to chow.

Now, normally I don't like sausages but these ones where pretty good. I told Gabby that and she blushed. The pasta was also really good. The seasoning over it added more flavor than it just being tomato sauce and noodles. I noticed chunks of meatball within the sauce and figured it was Gabby's doing. I gave the smoothie a small taste and found it to be just right. I saw the others try it and agree. I made a mental note to thank Ivan for the notes. When we all finished what was on our plates, we tried the brownies. They were really chocolaty, not in a bad way at all though. They exploded in the mouth with flavor. There were hints of other flavors hidden within the chocolate. I was tempted to ask for another but I was starting to get really full. Ashley laughed when I said that.

"There is still plenty to go around! Come on, a little more shouldn't hurt." I shook my head, laughing. Also at the same time accepting a little more pasta and sausages. After that, I refused to eat anymore. I glanced around and saw that everyone's glasses were empty. Getting up and excusing myself, I walked over to get more. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadowy figure in the corner of the section. I paused, frowning, trying to place where I had seen it before. Ashley turned around in her chair to look at me.

"Is something the matter?" I turned around and shook my head.

"No, there isn't." She nodded and turned back. I went over to grab the pitcher and lifted it up when it finally hit me where I had seen him. Suddenly I felt very cold. I slowly turned around to face the Shape shifter. He was cocking his head to one side and smiling.

"Good Evening." His voiced cooed, "I believe I ought to tell you that you should come visit me. It's so lonely in the room. Won't you come see me?" He gave me scary puppy eyes, taking a step forward. Shivering, I took a step back. He smirked. "I should let you know, I won't take no for an answer." His hands zipped forward and grabbed my waist. I shrieked and dropped the pitcher. The crashed echoed the room, blue smoothie completely covering my shoes. His hands were freezing cold and they burned. I felt myself being filled with dread as I attempted to push him away, though it was futile. He gripped my sides harder and I doubled over, pain flaring through me. He then let me go and let me drop to the ground. By this time Amy, Gabby, and Ashley were by my side, asking me if I was alright as they tried to help me up. I couldn't hear them as I looked up towards Shape shifter. His hands were on his hips as he grinned, fangs showing. Suddenly his smile disappeared as he froze. He growled as he started to disappear. He looked down at me, winked, and slipped away. I blinked, confused. Slowly my senses came back to me as I looked at my friend's worried faces. I smiled to reassure them, ignoring the burning pain in my side and slowly stood up. Ashley and Gabby both still looked worried and Amy was frowning, none of them able to comprehend what happened. After a moment of silence, Ashley looked down at the spill.

"We should probably clean up." She said quietly. I nodded, moving to grab a towel but then Amy gently took my hand.

'Don't worry, we will do it. You should get some rest. Wouldn't want you to be too tired to work tomorrow." She gave me a small smile. I nodded my thanks and smiled tiredly back. Right now, rest sounded amazing. Gabby nodded as well.

"Don't worry; we will save you a brownie for tomorrow. Well, try to anyway." She gave me a mischievous grin and went to grab a towel. I let out a small, uneasy giggle and moved slowly to the door. As I closed it, I could hear Gabby yelling "Get well soon!"


	8. Chapter 8

The stairs were painful to get up. I winced at every step, the burning sensation spreading across my whole body. By the time I got to the door, I was panting. It took me forever to put the key in and I was tempted to leave it there but made one last attempt to take it out and open the door. I glanced up at the coat hanging in the hallway and sighed. Looks like Ivan was home. I took off my boots and walked into the living room. Ivan was standing over the table, staring at something in his hand. He looked up when he heard me walk in; his eyes grew wide instantly with worry. Dropping what he had in his hand, I heard the familiar clink of the pin as he ran over. He attempted to grab my waist but I flinched violently so he put his hands on my shoulders, his eyes looking up and down worried. After a moment of silence, he whispered so softly I barely caught what he said. Or maybe he said it loudly and I couldn't hear that well, on account that my head started to feel dizzy.

"What happened?" I slowly looked up at him and sighed. Feeling really light headed suddenly, I swayed forward. Ivan instantly embraced me in his arms and he steadied me. He glanced over at the pin on table and glanced back at me. Suddenly, he picked me up with ease and carried me over to the couch. I was on the sofa before I was even able to comprehend anything. I blushed awkwardly. I hadn't even realized that Ivan had my shirt pushed up, inspecting my torso. I blushed violently as I attempted to slap his hands away, oddly the only thing I could do swiftly, but he just brushed them off. I sat up as I looked down at my stomach and moaned. The cut from this morning had become an extremely deep red, mirroring the burns at my sides. I cringed as Ivan gently touched the cut. His brow was knitted in concentration, every so often looking at the pin on the table. He started murmuring in Russian as he once again touched the cut, this time applying a bit of pressure. I bit my tongue as pain flared across my torso. Ivan glanced up at my face than looked back down. He stood up and walked down the hall, in the direction of his room. I sat up a little more on the couch, staring at the TV. Suddenly, I felt self-conscious and pushed my shirt back down. Just then, Ivan walked back hold a small jar and a roll of bandaged. He chuckled dryly as he lifted my shirt back up. This time I didn't protest. He unscrewed the top of the jar, which released an herbal fragrance. Ivan dipped his fingers into a jar and very lightly, rubbed it against my cut and burns. Despite his attempts to not to hurt me, I kept yelping and cringing. The substance felt burning hot against my skin. I must have been twitching a little too much because Ivan paused for a moment and he leaned in a little closer. I felt his warm lips brush against my cheek and my mind went blank. By the time I snapped out of my daze, he was finishing wrapping up my wounds, giving it a quick tug to bind it. I could feel that my face was completely flushed red as I glanced up at him. He was staring out the window, lost in thought. Nervously, I slid my shirt down, over the bandage. I attempted to get up but nearly fell forward again. Ivan quickly caught me and sat me back down. He leaned in, his face inches from mine. I could smell the light cologne he wore; feel his breath brush against my skin. He lifted a hand and stroked my cheek softly with the back of his fingers. I could feel my heart pound as he tipped my head back a touch. I could see indecision in his eyes and something else, behind that. I closed my eyes, waiting. I could feel his weight shift, his hand pressing down on top of mine as he covered the distance. I felt his lips barely touch mine. Though, at the same time, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Both Ivan and I froze. He stood up and sighed, having a hard time trying to not look disappointed. Weary, I took my phone from my pocket and answered it.

"Hello!" said a cheerful man. "Could I have a second to talk about the assortment of flowers we have on sale?" I couldn't help but groan out loud.

"Back off." Ivan chuckled darkly and sat on the couch next me. I suddenly had the idea ordering sunflowers for Ivan but the guy abruptly hung up. Sighing, I closed my phone and slipped it back into the pocket, wincing at the dull pain in my stomach. Ivan turned and studied me.

"So, how did this," He motions to my torso and to the table, "all happen?" I stared down at the carpet, unable to speak. He watched me steadily, as if trying to guess what I was thinking. Finally I looked up at him and… I shook my head. Ivan stiffened, and then got up from the couch suddenly. He walked a little ways from the sofa and stopped. "You went there, didn't you?" I froze, not sure of what he said.

"Wha-what?" Ivan whirled around.

"You went, strictly against my orders, to the center of town, to that damn banshee place!" His eyes flashed to a dark purple, glaring at me. I bolted up, regretting it for a moment.

"I did not!"

"Then how else do you explain having that pin dipped in Shape shifter venom and those burns?!" I stood there for a moment, confused.

"Ivan, I-"

"YOU COULD HAVE DIED!"

"But…"

"No! That... That thing could have killed you. You would have been dead and… and I wouldn't know what to do."

"…..I-"

"Save it." He growled. "I told you specifically not to go there. If you can't listen to me if it's about your safety then-" I stiffened as he said this.

"You know what? I DO WHAT I WANT. When I want. You can't control me!" Ivan paused for a moment, stunned.

"I-I'm not trying to! I'm just…"

"You're what?! Come on spit it out!"

"I'm worried… This place is more dangerous than it seems and I won't always be there to save you."

"I don't need saving. I'm not some damsel in distress. Plus I didn't even go there."

"You…you what?"

Those last words of his came out in a light whisper. I sighed, pondering. _Would he even believe that the shape shifter, he…?_ Ivan huffed slightly and looked away, staring at the table. He finally turned and started walking down the hall. I instantly perked up. I felt my face flush red with angry. Without thinking, I blurted out.

"I didn't even go anywhere near that place! It came to me!" I was fuming. He paused and turned around but by that time I was running down the hall, my body complaining as I rushed into the room and slammed the door. I leaned against it for a second, catching my breath. When I had calmed down a little, I slowly slipped into bed. Though I didn't fall asleep. I just stared at the wall mostly, lost in thought.

A little later in the night I heard Ivan walk in. I closed my eyes and felt him sit down onto the bed, placing his hand upon my back. I heard him sigh as he stared gently rubbing my back. On impulse, I rolled over, placing my head onto his lap. If he was surprised, he didn't give any sign of it. I sat there for quite a while, listening to Ivan's steady breathing as my heart pounded. Finally he sighed.

"Hey, I…" I glanced up at his face. He was looking uncomfortable, running his hand through his hair. "So, what was that about not… going?" I sat up, ignoring the dull pain. Then launched into my story. All the while I watched Ivan's face, looking for signs of disbelief and such. He just mostly sat there, listening patiently. When I finished, I shook my head slightly. I barely believed the story myself. But it made sense, in a way. I just hoped Ivan saw it that way. Suddenly, Ivan stood up. He walked out in front of me, letting out a long sigh. "There is something I should have told you a while ago…" I slightly tip my head to the side. He took my hands into his own, looking into my eyes. His eyes were a midnight purple, almost black in the dark. "I once had an apprentice, just like you. Well, he was more head strong…" Ivan looked away shamefully. I paused. Then I gently turned his head towards me.

"What happened?"


	9. Chapter 9

_~WARNING: The following topic might get a bit disturbing. Also the story will be from Ivan's point of view~ _

_~Ivan's Memories, Age 18~_

I frowned as I looked around, standing outside the bazar building. _It looks like Markus is making me wait again._ I sighed as I looked over at the clock tower standing on the other side of this part of town. At this rate we would probably miss the start of the show. I made a mental note to scold the boy again and lecture him on being punctual. I would not want to repeat last year with him being late to the Cook Off. Gilbert and Arthur still tease me about it… As I glanced at the clock again, I saw a figure running towards me out of the corner of my eyes. I prepared a smile on my face as Markus ran up to me with that goofy grin of his. I could feel my hand twitch as thoughts went across my head. I dismissed them immediately.

"Sorry for being late teach! I decided to take a nap and overslept!" I groaned as I massaged the bridge of my nose, trying to remember why I was still putting up with him. Markus was about 16 but certainly didn't act like it. He had black hair, dark blue eyes and an obvious dislike of doing what he was told, which made him a pain in the butt every single day. Though, he had some promise… at least I thought he did. Though now I'm not even sure anymore. Markus looked at me and shook his head, though still grinning. "Are we going to stand and watch the flowers grow or are we going to go?" I gave a halfhearted swat at his face as he dodged and started running towards the steps leading to the inner part of the city. Exasperated, I followed.

As we got off the subway, we could see the signs for the 'Midway Show" as they called it. It was more of a freak show but nobody dared to say it out loud. Markus expressed a keen interest in going, as did a lot of the other masters. Though I have no idea why… Sure, shows like these rarely came to the festival but it's not like they are entirely interesting. Markus started walking briskly as we started to hear the slow, almost creepy music drift from the grounds. As we turned the corner, we could see the tents. They were black and white with green and red blobs in places, almost like stains. There were people already gathered around the outside of the main tent. I felt a little uneasy, since it was sort of close to my hidden green house. From where I currently was, I could pick out Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert. I figured that Gilbert would probably drag the other two here. At least I wasn't completely alone with my apprentice… By then I noticed that he had disappeared. I looked around sharply, only to find him mingling with the crowd. With a sigh, I went off the buy the tickets. I attempted to pass the trio without being noticed but of course, Gilbert saw me instantly.

"Ivan, what took you so long? Got lost on the way?" I was tempted to wipe that smirk off his face but thought better of it. I just passed them by. When I got to the ticket booth, the lady working it barely looked up from her phone as she texted. I coughed.

"Two please…" The receptionist looked down at me with a frown.

"Sir, do you have authorization?" I groaned. Having to wait for Markus, I completely forgot to check with Roderich, who pretty much kept tabs on everyone. Suddenly, Gilbert walked up from behind.

"Here, he can use my pass!" The lady took the slip, glanced over it, and handed it back.

"That will be 6 bucks sir." She dragged out sir sarcastically. I decided I didn't like her. Handing her the money, I glared at Gilbert. He just smiled at me. The girl handed me the tickets as he turned around to leave. He paused and looked back over his shoulder.

"You owe me Ivan!"

When I found Markus and handed his ticket to him, the flaps to the main tent had opened and people started pouring in. Markus started to push through the crowd as soon as he snatched the ticket out of my hand.

"I'll save you a seat teach!" He disappeared among the people instantly. Shaking my head, I waited near the back as the group slowly pushed into the tent. The inside was just as tacky as the outside. There were posters everywhere, saying "The Amazing" this or "The Unbelievable" that. Around me people were staring at the posters and somehow were buzzing with excitement. I thought the posters were cliché and dull. Walking into the main seating area, I spotted Markus near the front, close to the stage. He somehow already has popcorn in his hands, looking up at the stage with anticipation. Almost anything could distract him. I sat down next to him and he grinned at me. "You ready to be amazed?!" I casually leaned against the side of the chair, propping my head up with my hand. The seat let out a squeak and was obviously abused, holes along the seams with stuffing coming out. Already I felt extremely bored. _I wonder if this would be a brilliant time to nap…_ All of a sudden, the lights shut off. You could hear the scuffle of people rushing into their seats. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around just to groan. Gilbert and the others were sitting behind us. Great. This was getting better and better. Turning my eyes back to the stage, I noticed a little shadow walk across the stage. A lone stage light turned on in the middle of the stage, right over him. He was wearing a normal ringleader outfit with a tall top hat. He grinned to the audience, and for a moment, I swear I saw fangs. He tipped his hat forward a bit. "Ladies and gentleman." His voice was really deep and rang out through the whole room. "I would like to thank all of you for coming. What you are about to see will astound you, believable or not, and might make those of you of faint heart squeamish." Markus nudged my side and I glared at him. "Please remain calm at all times and stay in your seat. We do not want you to startle anything that may be potentially dangerous." I yawned. The man's eyes snapped towards me and he smiled grimly, his eyes meeting mine. This time, I could see fangs. They were over his canines, almost appearing as if they were pushing the other teeth back. I involuntarily shuddered. "Now, without further ado, let us introduce the Neoma Night!" The stage blazed with lights as figures rushed out onto the stage. There were so many variations of sizes and they moved so fast. Some were glowing as they all wore bright colors that reflected the light in all kinds of ways. I figured that I had only closed my eyes for just a moment and it all disappeared, back to being the lone little man. Many people were murmuring, voices ranging from awe to surprised. I glanced back and even Gilbert was looking around, startled. I suppressed a smile as I turned around. I looked up and nearly yelped in surprise as the little man was still staring at me, grinning. He waited for the whispers to die out before he motioned to the right of the stage, where a spot light turned on. A tall man who was… well… buff. He was dragging a cage. Markus leaned over me to try to get a better look and I shoved him off. The little man looked back at the audiance. "We all know there are creatures in this world that are dangerous. But usually those look… Ferocious. Now folks, don't make any sudden motion or noise…" The cage was straightened to face the audience and opened. From inside, tumbled out a little fuzz ball creatures. They were ranging from brown to grey and had big eyes. They started to make a whimpering noise. Many of the girls in the audience made "Aww" noises. I couldn't help but laugh into my hand. The little dust mites turned to the audience, blinking their eyes rapidly as they took in their surroundings. I could hear Francis ask Antonio a question behind me.

"What does he mean? How can those petit things be dangerous?" I turned around and gave Gilbert a smirk, his face turning graver by the moment. He obviously recognized them. I heard familiar chirping noises and turned back. The fur balls had started jumping up and down, excitedly. I noticed that the two attraction members had disappeared. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. One of the fur balls had rolled extremely close to the front end of the stage. From where I sat, I could see a slim hand reach forward to pet it. It purred as the hand got closer. I froze, thinking they wouldn't let them. I started to feel dread as the other ones started rolling over to the first. The next thing that happened was a scream. All of a sudden, the lights went out. Many people gasped and shrieked in unison with the first. Then the lone spot light appeared once again on the stage. The little man was holding out something that moved extremely fast. It stopped to glare at him. It had spike like quills and large sharp teeth. It eyes glowed red with dark black slits of pupils. The man smirked than placed it in the convenient cage behind him. He turned to the audience and dramatically sighed.

"Zimbliees. Wouldn't want one of these guys in your house." The caged was dragged away as there were hisses escaping. I looked over the where the hand had come from. There was no one in the seat. _Well, this just got a whole lot interesting._

Where I came from, we often were visited by 'Midway Shows" so I had thought I would be prepared for anything. Look how wrong I was. The next few acts were just as odd as the first. A group called The Puppets went on next. They did flips and stunts like acrobatics. Which is where the resemblance ended. They were hung upon hooks and did extremely gruesome tricks within the air. Half way through I had to just look away. I glanced over at Markus, expecting that he was probably cringing but to my surprise, he was watching will complete concentration. It almost seemed like he was inspired by this. I frowned slightly, glanced back at the stage and instantly regretted it. The next act was a snake woman. She had huge snakes following her and wrapping around her. Part way through the act through, her own lower half became a snake. It was… interesting. Nothing extremely odd. It was kind of boring actually. Next was probably my favorite. As the snake lady slithered away, all these multi-part creatures went up the stage. They had stiches all over, like a horse with goat horns, wings, and a serpent tail. Some even had two heads. The trainer himself was covered in stitches. With a glance at the Ring leader, who introduced them as The Menageries, he lifted his faltering arms. It was just like any other animal act, except sometimes the creatures fell apart. The trainer kept re-sewing them up. People all around were murmuring and shuddering gasps filled the room. I thought it was extremely interesting personally and I could tell Markus did too. Though maybe he thought it was a little too interesting. He was actually starting to worry me. I was tempted to put a hand on his shoulder but then elephants and lions started to fly above us. I was sad to see it finished, though the animals did look exhausted. The next act was another gruesome one. The announcer was saying something about having multi use animals when my attention was distracted by a man who was sluggishly walking up from the right wing of the stage. From what I could tell, he was barely there. I could only get a good look at him when he walked to the center spot light. He looked ghastly, pretty much only bones. He looked like he would break at any moment. The Ring leader chuckled.

"Ah! Fred, how nice to see you!" The guy nodded solemnly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce Fred!" He gave "Fred" a slap on the back. There was a sickening crack and people gasped or screamed in horror. Even I released a shudder. The man had completely fallen over, though his legs were still standing… steadily, he got up with his arms and placed the rest of his legs back onto the other part and instantly stood up. "Fred, the Skeleton Man!" The little man disappeared. One pretty much gets the just of the whole act. This guy could pretty much snap himself, throw himself, and recon join. It was extremely… odd. I glanced over at Markus again and he looked like he was really into it. I sighed in relief when that act was done. The Ring leader once again appeared. And he was staring right at me. Now that I thought about it, I had a feeling of being watched throughout most of the acts. I shook my head; it could only be my imagination. But then again… I looked back up. He was still smiling but looking at the audience. "There are many unknown things lurking in the shadows. Though sadly we can't bring them onto the stage. But we can… still show you." He smirked. "The famous illusionist, Paradox!" The lights went off and the room went dead silent. I glanced around, suddenly feeling really nervous. Suddenly there was a spark in the middle of the stage and an explosion. From the smoke, a man stepped out. He wore all white, which barely stood out against the darkness. The mask on his face was a complete circle that was black and white, kind of like a yin-yang symbol. A golden pocket watch reflected brightly as it hung from his shirt pocket. He waved his hands and every light came on, momentarily blinding the audience. As my eyes adjusted, I saw that the stage changed completely. Mirrors surrounded Paradox, reflecting multiples of him. There was also a box off on the side. It was pure black with designs of demons and such upon it. With a look around, the man began.

It was hard to keep track of what was happening, since there were so many things to comprehend. For sure he was walking through mirrors, multiple doppelgangers at a time and so on. After a few tricks, he paused.

"I would wish for everyone to remain seated for what is going to appear will not harm you physically." He slowly drew his hands to his face and blew softly. The lights dimmed as creatures started flying from his hands into the audience. There were muffled squeaks as things of nightmares flew at people. They started stalking through seats and aisles as the room started to fill up with horrible sounds. There were faces on the wall, things hanging from the ceiling of the tent, knifes around every corner. I started seeing my sisters and friends in twisted forms like the Puppets and started feeling really sick. I tried to shake my head, tell myself it wasn't real but my mind wouldn't listen to me. I looked down at my hands and stifled a cry of horror. I quickly glanced at Markus and saw he was… laughing?! I thought it was probably just an illusion but it seemed too life like. The visions ended as abruptly as they started, with the sound of mirrors shattering. Though they were gone, I could still see the images at the back off my mind… I looked over at Gilbert and the others. Antonio looked completely depressed, Francis was staring at the floor and Gilbert looked drained. He looked at me, his eyes dark with pain. I looked around and saw similar reactions of other audience members. Some were even whimpering. There was a tapping and all attention was brought back to the stage. The box was brought forward and the mirrors were gone. The masked man held up a staff and looked around at everyone in the audience and took a small step forward.

"Now that you have gotten a taste of the shadows," He gave a pause. I glared at him. "How about showing you what they truly look like." He tapped the lock on the side of the box, which spilled open. A black blob fell to the ground and lied there. Paradox gentle poked the blob in the side and it hissed, slowly standing up. It had the form of a human with long fingers. It had two red eyes atop its head that glared around. "This, my friends… Is called Shape shifter."

The Shape shifter was looking around as Paradox talked about where he was caught. I barely paid attention, entranced by this interesting creature as it attempted to walk but fell over. I again felt the odd chill of being watched. I looked over and saw the little man standing next to paradox, grinning. At me.

"Now, it is said that the Shape shifter can look like anything! Take on any appearance. Is there a volunteer in the audience? How about…" Paradox turned in my general direction and the ring master's grin grew bigger. I froze, going pale. "Y-"

"ME!" I jumped and looked over at Markus, who hopped out of his seat, wearing a goofy smile as he waved his arm. "I'll do it!" The ring master blinked in surprised and even Paradox seemed astonished.

"Ah- Yes! Of course! Come on up." Markus walked triumphantly up to the stage, standing next to the Shape shifter. It shrank away from him, only to be poked in the side. Glaring around, it started to morph. It shape seemed to stretch and continuously wrap around until there was another Markus standing right next to the original. Markus grinned and the other one grinned two. I shook my head. _The world barely survives with just one of him… _Markus let out a laugh.

"This is soo cool!" He held out his hand to the other one. Paradox instantly sprang up, but he was too late. The Shape shifter instantly grabbed onto Markus's hand. He froze, his face going monotone. Then he fell down. I was already half way across the stage, calling out his name. The Shape shifter had resumed its original shape and was slipping into its box. I stooped over Markus, rolling him onto his back. I picked up his hand, seeing it start to turn red around the wrist. Carefully, I felt for his pulse. The audience had gone deathly silent. Paradox stood there, unsure of what to do. The Ring leader's eyes flickered with interest. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate, shaking slightly. Softly, Markus groaned. I sighed in relief. As I picked him up, the Ring leader smoothly stepped in front of us.

"And that concludes our show. I hope you guys all enjoyed it. Good bye." He disappeared and the lights turned back on. Paradox walked swiftly off the stage, pushing the box. People were getting up and slowly mingling towards the exit. They moved out of the way as I walked by, carrying my apprentice. The trio walked after me. At first they were silent. Than as we left the grounds, they were talking among themselves. I just continued walking straight for the hospital, ignoring but glad for their company, all the same. I was still feeling uneasy about the show…

~_End of Ivan's Memories Part I~_


	10. Chapter 10

Ivan sighed as he turned to me. I was lost in deep thought. After a moment, I looked up at him.

"So what happened next?" Ivan shook his head.

"You should at least get some rest to heal those burns of yours."

"But I want to know what happens." He smiled sadly.

"Get some rest." He gently eased me back into the pillow, brushing my hair away from my face. "Sweet dreams." He got up and walked out, closing to door softly. But I couldn't sleep. I kept on thinking of the Show, and its ghastly patrons. When I finally did sleep, my dreams were plagued with Markus and the Shape shifter.

The next morning, I found Ivan in the living room when I got up. He looked up at me, flashed a smile, and then went back to his paperwork. I grabbed a pancake from the table and crashed onto the couch, proceeding to nibble on it. My sides didn't hurt as they did yesterday, they were just super sore. I heard Ivan place his pencil down and walk over to me. I moved over so he could sit next to me. He sighed.

"Just 4 more days till the Cook Off…" I nodded. He glanced over. "You think you're ready?" I smiled.

"Better late than never." He gave a sarcastic sigh. I grinned and leaned against him. We both sat there happily for a moment or two. Then I recalled last night. I tensed. "Ivan?" He already knew what I was thinking.

"You want to hear the rest of the story?" I nodded. He looked out the balcony window for a moment. "So you probably already assumed that he made it…"

_~Ivan's Memories, Age 18, Part II~_

Though Markus had survived the Shape shifter burns, as the trio and I called them, he acted sort of strange. Like he seemed all distance and stuff. He rarely listens to me anymore and if he answers me at all, it's usually an "Hmm…" or a "Yeah, okay…" He was honestly starting to scare me. I asked Arthur and Yao for advice but neither of them could figure it out. I tried to confront him about it but he always left… When the Cook Off came, he didn't show up at all. It was embarrassing to tell the judges that my apprentice wasn't coming. A lot of the watchers snickered at me as I presented my dish alone. When I went back to the room, he wasn't there at all. I looked all around for him. I found him in the room when I came back late after midnight. I don't think I've ever been so mad with him. I stormed off to my green house to cool down for a bit. My green house is kind of deep into the inner city, hidden behind a wall. It was given to me by a friend of my older sister. At first it was all run down but after putting some work into it, I finally was able to get plants to grow. It was my little place to hide from the stress, even just for a little while. The next day I couldn't find him once again, so I went off to talk with Yao. Later that night, he finally came back, cut up and bruised. When I asked him if he needed help, he just shook me off. I felt discouraged. And then, of course, on the 5th night of his strange behavior, he finally talked to me. Only to say goodbye. It was 10 o'clock on a rainy night, which rarely happened. I was looking over recipes when he walked him. I had recently given up on saying hello to him, since all I recently got in respond was "Mmm". I started humming while flipping through the cards, not noticing that he was standing right behind me.

"Ah-hem" I jumped, turning around.

"Markus?" He glared at me.

"Duh, who else would it be?" I was starting to get confused.

"But, I thought yo… Never mind." I shook my head. Maybe I could finally make sense of this situation. "So, what's wrong Markus?"

"I-it's nothing…"

"Oh… Okay, well if you-"I started to turn back to my work.

"You know what? Something is wrong!" I paused. Looking back at him, I motioned for him to continue.

"I'm sick of being your apprentice. I have enough of the skills, I do the work,"

"Wha…what brought this on?"

"You did!"

"Me?!"

"Yes! You never put me to the next level! I'm ready! I have everything figured out to the T!"

"Well…Markus…you are not quite there…"

"WHAT? I'm there! We could be partners! We could work together and get more things done and…" I shook my head, cutting him off. His words seemed sincere but there was something in his eyes that made me shiver.

"I work alone Markus… I don't have partners."

"…But it's me! Markus! We've known each other for, like, ever!"

"No. You can be my apprentice."

"NO! You know what? I'M DONE. I want to be my own master. I'm sick of not being treated as your equal! I don't even need you anymore!" I was about to retort but forced myself to be calm.

"Well, maybe-"

"NO! I'm done. You… You need me more than I need you. And I don't need you anymore"

"FINE! LEAVE! Place your card on the table, get your stuff, and GET OUT OF HERE!"

"MAYBE I WILL!" he stormed off to his room, slamming the door. I attempted to calm myself as I headed out the door, my mind racing. _Who does he think he is?! He actually thinks he can do stuff on his own? Don't make me laugh._ Without thinking, I got on the subway and walked all the way to my green house, ignoring everyone around me. When I got through the door, I went straight to the sunflowers and sat under them. I was still fuming but I looked up at the yellow flowers and started to smile, just a little. I felt the heat lamp on my back as I listened to the automatic fans whistle through the plants. I barely realized that I was very tired. I felt the stress slowly slip away from me as I, without noticing, started to doze off.


	11. Chapter 11

_~Ivan's Memories, Age 18, Part II Continue~_

I woke up, finding myself in an awkward position. I yawned as I painfully sat up, looking around. I was about to curl up again when I heard the door let out a squeak. I looked over at it in surprise. On impulse, I slipped into the sunflowers and disappeared. I listened quietly as I heard wheels rolling across the ground. Peeking through the stems, I stifled a gasp. Markus was pushing a cart to the center of the room. It took me a minute to figure it out, since he was wearing a black cloak, but sure enough it was my former apprentice. He was straining to get the cart over the vines that grew over the floor. I was tempted to go straight to him and demand how he got here. I had no memory of ever showing him to my greenhouse. I crept forward quietly. He had stopped half way through, bent over in an attempt to catch his breath. After a moment, he got up and went back to nearly close the door then over to the cart again. He looked around and whistled.

"Quite a place my teach has got here, isn't it?" That's when my attention was finally drawn to the cart. It took me a moment to place where I had seen the box before. When I finally had, I nearly blew my cover. The cart contained a black box. One with demons carved into the wood. One that contained the Shape shifter.

There were muffled sounds from the box. Markus nodded, as if he understood. He produced a metal pipe from under his cloak (So he was stealing my stuff left to right) and overturned the cart, the box falling near me. I jumped back a little, accidently snapping a stem. Markus's head snapped up. He peered into the sunflowers, looking around slowly. I held my breath. He just shrugged and walked over to the box. He swung and completely knocked off the lock, which flew violently and knocked down some of the fruit off of the orange tree that stood near. Markus cringed as the oranges went splat. I felt the corner of my lips twitch as my temper rose. I fought it down. The box lid flew back and the familiar black blob slipped out. It began to transform into a humanoid shape as it hissed at Markus. He raised his hands in the air.

"Hey, I'm sorry if it was a bumpy ride. It's not that easy to steal that large of a box." The thing hissed again and looked around. I felt it "eyes" hover over where I hide and froze. It paused for a moment than continued to study its surroundings. Finally it turned to Markus and licked its lips.

"H-have you got t-the item?" Its voice was harsh and cold. It also came out as a screech. Markus, obviously not fazed by it, grinned.

"Of course I do!" He pulled out a pin from his pocket. It was pretty big with a bead that was slick black in the shape of a moon. He handed it out to the Shape shifter, who cringed back from it.

"Fool! Don't touch me with that yet!" Markus frowned.

"What do you mean?" The creature sighed.

"I need it to be dipped into blood before I can take it. Were you not listening when I told you of the contract?"

"Well, all I remember is that if I got this and gave it to you; you would be free and in return would grant me my wish." The Shape shifter groaned, putting his head in his heads. I leaned closer, instantly curious.

"If I knew it would be this difficult…" He murmured low. I secretly agreed. Though Markus obviously didn't hear. He just cocked his head to the side, confused. The creature looked up at him. "What I specifically said was in order to be free, I need the in dipped into blood in order to be able to use it. Along with my box being destroyed." He glanced at the box. "Then I can grant your wish. But only than… AND" he had to yell just to snap Markus's attention back to him, who was about to stab himself with the pin. He looked at the thing wearily. "It can't be your blood! Really now…" Markus slowly lowered his arm.

"Well, I could go get someone off the street?" The Shape shifter sighed.

"It would take too long. The staffs are probably already looking for you right now cause SOMEONE KNOCKED OVER THE MIRROR!" His eyes had completely gone red as he glared at him. Markus, in return, grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I could still break your box?" Without waiting for protest, he swung my pipe and whacked the box. The Shape shifter screeched as the box shattered with a crack. I couldn't help but yelp. Both the Shape shifter, who was shaking, and Markus turned slowly to where I lied. I attempted to creep away backwards but fell over, snapping some flowers. I swore softly and looked up as the other two had started to walk forward. The Shape shifter slowly grinned, which made me shutter.

"Well," He cooed, "Looks like we had everything we needed right here." He sped forward and pinned my arms behind me. I struggled against him as I could feel my skin burning. I glanced quickly at Markus who was looking grave. He sighed and lifted the pin over his head. I felt my heart pound as I realized what was about to happen. I closed my eyes and paused, tensing myself for the pain. After for what seemed like forever, I heard the creature growl.

"What are you waiting for?!" I opened my eyes to see Markus in the same position as before. His eyes were filled with conflict. I felt some hope before it was crushed when he took a step forward. "Remember," the Shape shifter purred, "All you have to do if cast aside your old past and your wish, your future, will stretch out before you." Markus paused in mid step. The creature quickly explained as I attempted to squirm out of his grasp. "Remember, he told you to leave, he wouldn't let you continue to be where you should properly be! A master chef! You have the power, now DO IT!" I was tempted to plead but figured it was no use when I saw Markus's eyes grow grey blue. He whispered sorry and once again raised the pin over his head. This time, I didn't close my eyes and glared at him. He brought the pin down, moving forward.

Suddenly, a broken sunflower stem caught onto his cloak and he stumbled, nearly stabbing the Shape shifter. The creature hissed back in surprise and I broke free, sprinting forward. I knocked Markus out of the way, running for the door. The thing screeched "GET HIM!" I could hear Markus sprinting after me. I had nearly gotten to the door when I felt something whiz by and snag my scarf onto the wall. I let out an exasperated sigh as I struggled to get my scarf loose from the pin. I looked back and saw that both the Shape shifter and Markus were getting closer and started tugging furiously. I heard a rip with a clunk and fell backwards. I glanced at my scarf and swore. _Hopefully Katyusha can fix this… _I turned back around to find both of them were only three steps away. I grabbed the pin and held it in front of me defensively. Markus paused but the Shape shifter snickered. I started scooting backwards as the thing stalked forward, grinning wildly. I started shaking, with both fear and rage. The last moment was a blur. The Shape shifter leaped forward as I leaned against the door, shutting it by accident. At the same time I thrust the pin forward with great force. I felt something come crashing into me. I hadn't noticed that I had closed my eyes till I felt something wet drip onto my hand. I slowly opened them and would have jumped if I wasn't pinned behind the Shape shifter. I looked over at its agonized look as it whispered something. Markus's eyes were wide with his mouth gapping open. I felt that my clothes were drenched and sticky and sighed. Though, I didn't feel hurt at all… Finally the Shape shifter got up and was staring down at his chest, were the pin was sticking out, glowing. I frowned and looked at my clothes, which were covered in black liquid. The creature started looking around frantically, than its glaze rested onto Markus. He yelped and started to walk backwards but the thing howled and raced forward, knocking him down.

"YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" I attempted to get up to help Markus but found I was too exhausted to. I watched helplessly at whatever was going on there. I shivered, shaking my head to try to ignore the sounds. I didn't recognize the tears and didn't want to. The lights started to flick as the creature got up and turned sharply to me, glaring. I glared back wearily. It growled and once again leapt at me. Than the lights completely turned off and on. I blinked. The Shape shifter was gone. I groaned as I struggled to stand. I walked over to where Markus laid, dazed. The cloak was ripped at the edges but still was intact. I sighed as I lifted it up than froze. There wasn't anything there. I looked around, confused. All that was left was the cloak…

~_End of Ivan's Memories Part II~_


	12. Chapter 12

I sat there, shivering. Somehow, things made more sense yet still didn't. I looked over at Ivan, who was watching my expression. I paused for a moment.

"So what happened after that?" Ivan gave me a sad smile.

'Well, I told everyone Markus had died in an accident. Though I doubt that it made sense to anyone." I nodded solemnly, remembering the rumors. "Then I researched about Shape shifters. I didn't go back there until I was sure I would know how to protect myself. By the time I finally did, the plants had become what they are now. And it took me a while to even get in there properly, what with all the lights flicking and such. I had my older sister fix the cloak, which I can't seem to get rid of." For a moment though, I felt that something was missing, that I had forgotten something important. I shrugged, figuring it wasn't that important. "And of course retrieved my pipe and got my scarf fixed as well." I glanced over at his scarf and, as if sensing my thoughts, showed me the fine stitching near the bottom. "I swore to myself I would never get another apprentice though…" He glanced over at me, "When I got your email, both my sisters and even some of my friends insisted I should take you on." He smiled gently. "I'm glad I did." I blushed and looked away. I could hear Ivan chuckling again as he got up. He held out his hand to help me up. I looked over to the clock. 11:45. Ivan followed my graze, probably coming to the same conclusion. "Looks like it's time to start practicing for the cook off." I turned to him and smiled.

"We are going to win it!"

Four days later, Ivan came in and rushed me to get up and ready. He practically dragged me out the door. As I walked down the hall, I glanced at the clock and groaned. It was 1:45 in the morning… _What could it be that he possible wants to do at this time?_ Then it finally hit me.

"We are going to the Cookoff?" Ivan chuckled.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." I was confused but didn't voice it out loud. Instead, I yawned. I got to the kitchen to find it bursting with people. They were talking, rushing around, packing things, the works. As I walked through the crowd, I nodded a greeting to Ashley. She smiled sleepily at me as she was placing tomatoes in a bag. I reached our compartment as Ivan opened the cabinet. He turned to me, handing me a note. "We are going to need to bring our own ingredients so can you please grab the berries for this recipe?" I nodded and he smiled. He walked back to the crowd as I stared at the paper. _Frozen Burg, Scarfers, Banana, Blue Berries… _I reached for the Scarfers but suddenly the bag tipped over, spilling out. I froze and looked around quickly to see if anyone noticed. No one did… too busy doing their own work or conversing with each other. I sighed in relief and stooped down to see if any berries remained unharmed. No such luck. I looked back and on impulse grabbed the strawberries. The same exact thing happened with the Blueberries. This time I heard an odd snicker and figured it was probably just my imagination. Instead, I grabbed the Blue Bells, hoping they would be a good substitute. I placed all of them into a bag just as Ivan came back with a frown on his face.

"It's odd… Somehow our blender was torn to pieces… So I got authorization to use ours here… Still…" He started to ponder as he placed the blender out the counter to another bag. Grabbing both of them, he half smiled at me. "You can go talk to people of you would like. We don't leave for the area till 2:30. That should give you at least a half hour." I nodded and walked over to where Gabby and Amy were standing. They nodded their acknowledgement but they both looked grim. Gabby sighed

"So supposedly there were reports of vandalism all over the contest grounds, along with equipment being destroyed." Amy nodded.

"I heard that the words _He is here_ were written everywhere." I frowned

"Does it impact anything?" Gabby shook her head.

"Only the fact that things will have to be moved there… which takes time. I heard that Roderich was having a fit. Now that I think about it, I don't think this has ever happened before… Not since…" She shook her head again. By then, Ashley came up, smiling.

"Hey! Are you guys ready?! This is going to be awesome!" We all giggled. Ashley winked at me. "Though I am not going to lose." Gabby smiled mischievously.

"Oh yeah? Bring it." Just then a person walked up from behind Gabby.

"Looks like the competition is heating up!" We all turned around to face Gilbert. He had an overconfident smirk as Gilbird on his head jumped up and down, chirping. Ludwig had also walked up. He had a light smile on his face.

"It's nearly time to go." Amy glanced at the clock and hurried over to Cici. Ashley nodded and skipped off to Feliciano. Gabby turned to me and smiled.

"Good Luck!" She then walked off with her mentors. I turned and noticed Ivan wasn't in the compartment. I looked around for him but couldn't see him. I started to get confuse till I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to Francis, who was carrying bags, Arthur not so far behind him, standing with a young man who had dirty blond hair with a cow lick, bright blue eyes and glasses. He has a similar overconfident smile like that of Gilbert's. I smiled back but then frowned, confused.

"Where is Ivan?" Francis was about to speak but the younger man interrupted him.

"The Russo had to go check out some things at the Cooking grounds since his spot was extremely vandalized so he asked me, The Hero, to escort you!" He walked forward and shook my hand. "My name is Alfred F. Jones!" I couldn't help but laugh at his energy. Arthur had his head in his hand, groaning. He then turned around.

"We should probably get going…" I noticed how the place was slowly filling out. Alfred let go of my hand and walked up to Arthur, snatching one of the bags.

"Come on limey, let's go!" He ran out the door, pushing Yao, who happened to be there, to the side. Arthur shook his head and walked briskly after him. Francis sighed and gave me a small smile.

"We should probably follow them." I nodded, remembering my first day here and smiled. I then walked out of the room, following the small crowd.

The Cooking grounds were near the back of the city. There were already a lot of people there. But most of them didn't look happy. I could see why. As I got closer to the site, I gasped. There was rubble everywhere. Walls were covered with red words, saying _He is here_,_ Give it back_, and _We are coming for you_. The tables themselves were covered in claw marks, some of them split in half. Equipment was everywhere, or at least, pieces of equipment. Francis whistled, stopping for a moment. Arthur and Alfred had just walked back to us, both of them sharing a grim expression. Arthur sighed.

"The area is almost completely devastated…" Alfred stared at the sky.

"Who could have done this? I am going to figure out!" Arthur put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"There isn't much we can do. We might as well get ready for the contest." Alfred frowned.

"It's kinda hard to make fish on a collapsed table." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Then go find one." Alfred grinned.

"Alright teach!" With that, he ran off. I looked at Arthur in surprise.

"He is your apprentice?" Francis laughed while Arthur flashed him a glare.

"Alfred sure is. Though he doesn't act like it till the Cook Offs come around. Mostly he ignores Arthur." Arthur sighed.

'I'm going to go prepare a station…" He stalked off as Francis gave you a grin. Then he looked over at the place again and frowned.

"Alfred is right though… oh! Look! Over there are Roderich and Elizabeta speaking to Vash and Lili." I followed his gaze to a group of 4 people. I tipped my head to the side, puzzled.

"Who are those people?" Francis looked at me surprised.

"Why, Elizabeta is the leader of the festival organization. Vash is head of the police forces for the city, Lili being his deputy." I looked at the smaller female he mentioned doubtfully but Francis shook his head with a faint smile. "Don't let her fool you. She may look small but she is amazing with guns. Roderich of course, you know." I looked back to the group as Francis started walking over to them. I hesitated for only a second before following. Elizabeta, whom is the one with long brown hair and green eyes, looked over at Francis and smiled. Vash, whom wore a police uniform and had light sea green eyes with blond hair, was still talking to Roderich, who was looking quite P.O.-ed. Lili was taking notes, wearing similar clothes to Vash, well, really similar everything actually. If not for the pink ribbon in her hair, I would have thought she was a boy. She glanced up at me than back at her notes. Francis took no notice of this and started talking to Elizabeta. I stood there, feeling awkward when Roderich turned to me.

"Miz, zouldn't you be wiz your mentor instead of zitting there, gawking?" I felt myself blush and murmured an apology. I said good bye to Francis and walked to the grounds. On my way, I noticed Kiku interviewing contestants and smiled.

When I got inside the grounds themself, I noticed people clearing the area along with placing stations up. I looked around and found Ivan standing near a table. I walked over to him. He was shaking as he touched the table's surface, from rage or fear, I couldn't tell. He lifted his head as I came closer, slightly frowning. He motioned me closer. Confused, I looked down at the table and let out a squeak. It was covered with deep scratch marks that stretched from side to side. In the middle, there was a carving of a gruesome smiley face with fangs. Under it, it said _You know what is up? _I glanced at Ivan's face as he studied it. He shook his head, and muttered something. I looked back at the table again. Suddenly from behind, I heard a voice.

"That's certainly an interesting piece of work you got there." I turned around to face Vash and Lili. Lili walked over to the table and started sketching on her pad. Ivan looked at Vash wordlessly. "So do you have any idea why, out of all the places, yours is the only one that was doodled on?" Ivan stared at the ground then shook his head. Vash sighed and glanced over at Lili, who nodded. He then turned to me. "How about you?" Ivan shot me a questioning glance. I only shook my head… Than thought of the shadow when Ivan and I were walked to the subway.

'Well… Recently when we went to the subway, I saw someone slipping through the shadows." Vash frowned thoughtfully. He nodded to Lili, who had just turned from the table, and she jotted something down.

"Thank you for your cooperation, we will notify you if anything comes up." They both walked off. Ivan sighed.

"So you don't have any idea either…" I shook my head. Ivan sighed again and brushed his bangs to the side. "Well, we can't do anything about it now… Let's start setting up a table."


	13. Chapter 13

By the time the grounds looked presentable, or at least as presentable as ruins can be, it was bursting with people. I was shaking from anticipation as I glanced at the big clock, which stood in the middle of the grounds, for the tenth time. 7:45. Ivan must have noticed because he chuckled to himself. I shot him a tired look before he looked away, still snickering, as he took the berry bags out of a contained filled with water. I looked around, itching to do something, when I saw the knife, which I started to fiddle with. I was obviously starting to worry Ivan because he leaned over to me to slowly slip it out of my grasp. I was about to protest till I noticed that Elizabeta had walked over, smiling.

"So are you going to wow us with the abilities of your new apprentice?" There was an obvious hint of teasing in her voice, to which Ivan sighed. I made a feeble attempted to grab the knife again but he kept it just out of my reach. Elizabeta laughed at this and gave my head a pat, whispered "Good Luck" then walked to the next table. I couldn't help but glance at the clock again. 7:49. Ivan turned back to me and gave me a light swat.

"A watched pot wont boil you know." I looked at him irritated and was about to retort back until I heard the blare of a horn. I jumped slightly, looking over at where it came from. I hadn't noticed that a podium was set up at the center of the area, near the clock. I glanced over at Ivan, unsure of what to do. He smiled and took my hand. I kind of froze up, becoming extremely nervous as thoughts pounded through my head of what was about to happen, so he had to practically drag me over to the now forming crowd. As I got closer, I recognized some of the faces in the crowd. From what I could see, Arthur and Francis were already arguing, Alfred laughing at both of them. Gabby could barely keep herself from jumping around and was bumping into people. Ashley was looking around with a huge grin on her face, mirroring that to her mentor's. Amy also had a hint of a smile on her lips as she glanced over at me as we passed. I looked over at Ivan and saw a similar faint smile on his own face as he zigzagged around the people. He finally released my hand when we stopped, nearly in front of the crowd. Yao turned to me and gave me a slight nod. I nodded back then faced the front again, noticing that Roderich was on top of a podium. He still looked a bit cross as usual but also there was a smile he could barely conceal. He raised his hand to silence the stirring crowd. With a deep breath, he began to speak.

"As you all know, this is the 128th year of the Cook Off…" I let out a little gasp, having no idea how old the festival was. As I started to let my mind drift, Ivan grabbed my hand and gave it a small squeeze, bring me back to the present. "Like the contestants before, you all must abide to the rules. First of-"Just then Elizabeta walked up and gave him a small push off the stage. I heard chuckles ripple through the crowd as he bowed and walked to the side. She turned to the audience and smiled. It was just then that I noticed other people had begun to crowd around the border of the grounds, watching eagerly.

"Without further ado, let us begin the contest between the masters!" There was a cheer and clapping. She raised her hands and it ceased. "Remember, 7 hours to cook. When you have completed your entry, bring it to the judge's table." She motioned behind her. I glanced over and saw that Vash sitting there, much to my surprise, along with a man who held a polar bear that gently whacked his face. The third one that sat on the end had spiked up blond hair with a huge grin on his face. He stood up from his chair and gave the crowd a small bow. Elizabeta nodded and turned back to the audience. "Then, of course, you will have much leisure time until results. Please, no riots this year." Roderich gave a small nod of approval as she stepped down from the stand. All at once, the crowd started to buzz with excitement. I glanced up at the big clock. 7:59. The whole crowd seemed to hold their breath as the second hand ticked around. After what seemed like forever, the small hand ticked and bells sounded throughout the area. The crowd bustled with excitement as Elizabeta yelled "GO!" I turned to watch people flee to their places, watching as Arthur yelled to Francis "Bring it Froggy!" I took in a deep breath, the realization crashing onto me that I was actually doing something for once in my life. Ivan turned to me and grinned, which caused me to blush slightly. Eyes shining brightly, he took my hand and walked back to my place, humming to himself. When I reached the station, something in my mind clicked, and my hands started moving on their own. I slowly slipped into the familiar rhythm, like back at the kitchen. Though, oddly enough, I felt a buzz at the back of my mind, some unsettling cold feeling, like something was laughing. I dismissed it as me just being nervous as I picked up the knifes to give them one last cleaning. I hadn't even noticed that Ivan had walked off to the ingredient counter. He was already walking back with several things in his arms, ice cream being one of them. As he placed them on the counter, he smiled at my puzzled look.

"Today's smoothie is going to be extra special. You remember how usually we add milk in recipes before?" I nodded, still not catching on. "Well its similar to that but instead we half the milk and replace it with this." He pushed the vanilla bucket to me. I paused for a moment then figured it out. I let out a little "Oh", to which Ivan laughed. As I pried the lid off, he started to hum some more as he brought out the berries. But then he froze. He turned to me, frowning. "Apprentice? Um… where are the berries for the recipe?" I looked at him dazed then felt myself flush as I remembered that I forgot to tell him.

"Um… they sort of fell out and… so I grabbed these ones instead…" Ivan sat there for a moment, staring at me. I avoided his glaze, staring at the bags guiltily. After a moment or so, he sighed. I looked back at him, watching him shake his head.

"So I guess… we just can make a simple strawberry smoothie…" I looked down at the ground, feeling my face burn in shame. I stole a quick glance at Ivan to study his reaction, which made me feel worse. He was looking at the ground, crestfallen in a way. I sighed and looked around at the other contestants, seeing how they were faring. I watched Gabby cutting up some meat or whatever, when it hit me. I whipped my head to face Ivan, who was just starting to close the vanilla bucket.

"Why don't we make something like Frozen Bells, but with strawberry chunks and stuff?" Ivan looked at me, puzzled.

"Frozen Bells? What's that? I don't remember having a recipe like that…" I cocked my head to the side.

"But it was in the shelf." He shook his head.

"I don't believe it's mine though." I was even more confused. I tried to think back, try to remember if there was anything different with the writing or something but I came up blank.

"I'm pretty sure that is what I made… during the meeting…" Ivan just shook his head again. I rolled my eyes, knowing that I wouldn't be able to win an argument with him. He sat there and pondered a moment before looking back to me.

"Well, if you have an idea, than we might as try it…" I nodded furiously, feeling determined to make up for my mistake. He gave a nervous chuckle. "So, how do you make this ~ Frozen Bells~?"

I couldn't tell how many hours past as I worked on the smoothie, which was the longest time I have ever taken doing one. Some of the directions confused Ivan, something about it doesn't sound right or something, and we had to tweak it as we went. Though, it wasn't just the directions. A lot of little problems popped up, like the Blue Bells wouldn't blend into the ice cream and the strawberries didn't want to be cut, slowing our process down. Besides the fact that Ivan wanted to make it as perfect as possible. Once, while trying to work with a strawberry, I accidently cut Ivan with the knife. Though, at the time, he was at the whole other end of the station so neither of us was completely sure how it happened. But thankfully it was one that had recently dulled so he was fine. Another thing was the whole time I felt this odd presence as I worked, like a pounding at the back of the head. I could also tell that Ivan felt it too because sometimes he looked around nervously, as if afraid someone would attempt to do something. Other than that, I was perfectly in rhythm with the work. Half the time I didn't notice that time passed at all. Finally, we finished. There were less people around than earlier, most of the other contestants had already finished and were either talking with others or left. Ivan poured out a glass from the pitcher I filled before adding a little strawberry decoration to the top of both. I then lifted the pitcher gently onto the platter. I paused for a moment, before nodding to each other. Ivan then sighed.

"I really hope it tastes fine… So what should we name it?" I gave him a puzzled look and he hastily continued to explain. "It's a new combination entry that I have certainly never done before, or invented for that matter, till now. Which, I would like to point out for future reference, is kind of risky… So it needs a name." I stared at the glass pitcher, pondering. Then I absently dwindled onto the thought of how I felt, being with Ivan, cooking with people, the whole festival. I felt a warm buzz in my chest as a name drifted across my thoughts. I turned back to him and gave him a small smile.

"We should call it Blue Bell Dream." Ivan's face lit up instantly.

"Let's hope it's as good as it sounds." I gave him a playful shove as he wrote the name on a sheet. He carefully folded it so it propped against the glass before giving me a nod. I frowned at him slightly and he motioned to the judge table. I then blushed slightly, feeling honored, as I lifted the platter up. I concentrated hard on not spilling, ignoring an odd feeling of something brushing against my ankles, tugging them. I figured it was just my mind playing tricks on me as I walked proudly up to the table, placing the display onto it. The faint man, whose nameplate read Matthew Williams, gave me a tired smile as Vash leaned over to read the entry name, frowning.

"Blue Bell Dream…Well that's a one new." The other man was grinning at me. His plate read Matthias Kohler.

"It sounds refreshing yet fun! Can't wait to try it." He gave me a wink as Vash scribbled something on his sheet before dismissing me. I paused, gave an awkward bow (which received a chuckle from Matthew) and walked shakily back to Ivan, barely aware of Matthias yelling after me that results would be about a week. I noticed Ivan looked relieved as he smiled at me. I stopped a few feet away from him and was startled to suddenly feel his arms wrap around me, only briefly though. He instantly let go as Alfred walked over to us, with a huge grin.

"So you're starting to go sweet on your apprentice? That's adorable" He winked at me as I looked away, blushing. "Anyway, you guys are coming to the party right?" I glanced up at him and then at Ivan.

"What party?" Ivan frowned.

"Usually after the contest, everyone gets together to celebrate the fact that the "worse" is over. Usually that's actually where the yearly infamous riots break out… and schemes are conjured up of attempting to finding out the results early, instead of usually having to wait a week. They all fail though." I nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh, I see… wait, a week?!" Ivan and Alfred both gave me amused looks. Then Alfred yawned.

"It's the only pain about these contests is they wait at least a week or more before announcing the results. No one knows why though… Though some expect it's because Roderich likes to see us suffer." I snickered as he turned back the Ivan. "So are you coming or not? Not that you have much choice." Ivan rolled his eyes.

"I'd rather not but… if you wanted to." He turned to me. I looked at one then the other, unsure of what to do. Alfred was giving me puppy eyes while Ivan just looked really tired. I decided it would be best to compromise and smiled at both of them.

"How about going to the party for an hour or so then leaving?" I glanced around hopefully. Ivan nodded while Alfred gave it a thought then smiled, seeming to be satisfied for the moment.

"Alright! See you there! And Russo, try not to smother her when your being affectionate." Ivan huffed and gave Alfred a halfhearted swat, who ran off to Arthur. Ivan turned to me and gave a light smile before walking off, back towards the Bazar building. I started to follow him but stopped. I had felt another odd sensation and turned around to see a shadow streaking off behind a building. I looked back at Ivan, who was watching in the same general direction too. He glanced at me gravely before turning back, continuing on his way. I gave one final look around uneasily before once again following.


	14. Chapter 14

I could already hear the music as we walked down the stairs to the main level. I glanced over at Ivan, who was holding a pitcher of a blue smoothie mix. When I asked earlier about it, he said that it was a tradition to have a mini contest between the dishes made that day, to see which one was betted to win between the masters. Not that it meant anything I heard him mumble after. Now that I thought about it, there were a lot of traditions in this town. I gave a chuckle at the thought of the first contestants acting as rambunctious as they did now. Ivan glanced over at me and smiled. He was about the grab the handle of the door when it suddenly swung open. In the way stood Arthur, yelling something about bloody wankers behind him when he slammed into me, knocking both of us down. I noted that he smelled faintly of alcohol and his face was completely flush red. He muttered an apology as he attempted to get up, failing and landing on me again. I hadn't noticed that I was laughing until Ivan lifted him off me. Arthur struggled against him as he started calling him a stupid Ruski. Ivan glanced at me on the floor shyly and reached out his hand to help me up. Alfred had come over by the time I got back on your feet, grinning.

"Glad you two could make it!" He glanced over at the pitcher on the ground next to Ivan and picked it up. "I'll take that for you! So this is the famous course you made off the top of your head? Interesting…" He put it up to the dim light, studying it. Then he smirked at Ivan. "Now remember you two, keep it PG. The "contest" will be about an hour or so from now!" I blushed as he ran off, dragging an intoxicated Arthur behind him. Ivan sighed and turned to me, offering a small smile along with his arm. I accepted it happily as he walked me into the roaring madness.

The only parties I have ever been to were small family reunions and get togethers, nothing as extreme as this. The once gentle common room now was erupting with voices and music. The tables had been pushed together and were covered in food. The lights were dimmer then, under them clumps of different people together, exchanging words with one another. I could barely make out Arthur sitting in a chair, looking depressed, with Francis seemingly trying to get some sense out of him as Alfred laughed out loud, receiving glares from the other two. Ashley was dancing with Feliciano near the stereos, looking dazed. Watching them, I glanced over at Ivan, wondering if we might do that. I caught him looking at them too but he still continued onward to a corner of the room. He then leaned against the wall, already bored. I noticed that Yao was also here, holding onto cup that smelled of herbs, shaking his head. He started talking to no one in particular, though I could tell that Ivan was listening.

"Kids these days, no wonder Elizabeta haves trouble keeping riots down…" I let out a giggle, observing the chaos around me, imagining many different scenarios. I saw Gilbert stand on top of a table, opening a bottle of beer, which had caused cheers all throughout the room. Ivan sighed. He turned to me and frowned.

"I would prefer that we don't stay too long… otherwise we might get dragged into a game…" I nodded, trying to remember the last time I had ever drunk. An incident at a Winter Festival drifted across my mind but then I shook my head, telling myself that nothing off the wall happened. At least that I knew of. Yao nodded his head in agreement and took another sip of his tea. I watched as Gilbert jumped down from the table and walked over to us, holding an empty bottle loosely in his hands.

"Hey! The corner is no place to take a lady!" He gave me a wink, causing my face to flush as Ivan glared at him. I thought that I saw his face redden a little but I couldn't tell in the light. Gilbert frowned a bit, obviously expecting a bigger reaction, and then smiled. "Well, if you won't take her, then I will!" He pushed the bottle into Ivan's hands, at the same time grabbing mine, and ran off into the crowd. I looked back to see Ivan looking startled then he followed, dropping the bottle to the ground. I felt Gilbert let go of my hands as arms wrap around me and looked up to see Francis. He winked at me while pushing me behind a group of people, whose conversation was a blur to me. I bumped into Antonio, who blinked at me in surprise before catching Gilbert's glaze and pulling me another direction, just for me to be dragged away by Gilbert once again. When I could, I caught glimpses of Ivan face. He looked a mixture of aggravated and irritated. I could hear all three men's voices echo with laughter the whole while, not noticing that I was laughing too. Though I soon started to feel dizzy after what seemed like hours of playing keep away. Finally, I stumbled and landed into Ivan, who attempted to steady me. He shot a glare at the trio, who were running away laughing. When the world stopped spinning, I glanced up, only to have a camera flash in my face. Groaning, I buried my face into Ivan's shirt. I heard Kiku laugh.

"You can pick the picture tomorrow. From what I can see, it's a keeper." I looked up to see him walk off to the other side of the room. I swear, there was too much movement at this party. Ivan moved me over to a chair, sitting me next to a man who was somehow sleeping in the chair, wearing cat eyes. My head was starting to pound but I shrugged it off. Gilbert walked over to me, a wide grin on his face. Ivan scowled at him. If he noticed, he didn't let it faze him.

"Hey, you guys should join us for Spin the Bottle! Or maybe we could attempt to convince Roderich to let us play 7 Minutes in Heaven. Or…" He glanced at the food. "We could bet on who is going to win the "contest"." I gave out a tired giggle, which seemed to encourage him more, much to Ivan's dismay. "Come on Ivan! You wouldn't want us to steal her away again, would you?" I started to smile but stopped. There was a cold feeling sweeping over me. I started to feel sick, worst then the dizzy sensation. I barely heard Ivan and Gilbert argue as I stood up shakily. I felt Ivan's hand on my arm but I shrugged it off. Somehow I pushed past the crowds, starting to walk towards the exit. I felt my heart pound as I pushed the heavy doors open, feeling the chill night air brush against my skin. I faintly heard Alfred's voice along with Ivan's behind me but couldn't register what they were saying. I half stumbled down the steps and fell to my knees at the bottom of them. My head was filled with an eerie crackling, soft at first but then it slowly grew louder and louder. I closed my eyes and shuddered. I could see glowing red eyes, with a faint outline of a grin, glowing against the dark. I tried to clear my mind but the image wouldn't go. I could barely make out the words that spun around my head_. Come. Warning. Kill. Come. Want. Protect. Come._ Suddenly, it went as sudden as it appeared. I let out a shudder as the nausea disappeared. I was scarcely aware that Ivan was gently shaking me, sounding worried as he repeated my name. When I finally had the will to open my eyes, I saw him leaning over me. Confused, I looked around, realizing that I was lying on the ground. I struggled to sit up as I looked over at Ivan. His eyes were flickering back and forth, studying my face. I felt a little self-conscious and attempted to stand up but nearly fell backwards. Ivan caught me then hugged me closer to him. I listened to the beat of his heart in silence before he spoke up, breaking the silence.

"What happened?" I shuddered involuntarily.

"I-I think that the Shape shifter was trying to tell me something… Something about coming…" I felt Ivan tense and I stole a glanced up at his face. I could tell, even in the dark, he was looking at the stairs that led to the Inner City. He looked back at me, his eyes set with determination.

"I'm going to go collect some fruit. And maybe confront the creature. This has gone too far…" I jolted up, instantly disliking the idea of Ivan being alone.

"Then I'm coming with!" He looked down at me surprised then smiled. He leaned over and planted a kiss on my forehead, causing me to blush. He started to run his hand gently through my hair as he leaned in closer and whispered to me softly.

"You should go back to the room and rest. Don't worry, I'll be back soon." He let go and gave me a little push towards the Bazar building. I looked back at him hesitantly. He motioned me to keep going, an amused smile lingering on his face. I sighed and walked back the building, casting one final glance behind. But he had already turned away and going up the stairs, water splashing gently up against him. When I got into the building, Gilbert was waiting by the door. He was about to ask me something but stopped, giving me a quick study. He gently put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently, and gave me an encouraging smile then let go. I nodded and walked up the stairs. I hadn't noticed the tears that fell silently down my face, feeling dread in the pit of my stomach. I was also filled with a fiery determined to not fall asleep until Ivan made it back safety.


	15. Chapter 15

You waited all night for Ivan to come home. You glanced sleepily at the TV, turning it off for the hundredth time. You had recently run out of ideas to entertain yourself to distract you from the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of your stomach. You struggled to your feet and started pacing the floor, glancing at the door every so often. Finally, you flopped back onto the couch, feeling discouraged. As scenarios flickered across your mind, you felt your eyes close and felt yourself slowly drift asleep.

Your dream was of the Shape shifter, but it seemed different then all the other times before. He was still walking around you as you were frozen to your spot but he was shaking his head, smiling. He oddly seemed a little faint, as if struggling to stay in the dream.

"I told you that you should come see me. But did you listen? Oh no. Now…." He stopped and turned his back to you, still shaking his head. You felt dread rise in your chest for some reason. You tried to shake the feeling off but it wouldn't go away. "Now… it's nearly time…" He turned back to you, grinning madly. He rushed forward and grabbed your hands, causing you to yelp. "I will get what I want, even if I have to…" He paused and shook his head. "No, it's sadly too soon to kill him… But this for now will be fine. Especially…" You shook you head, completely confused. He smirked. "Soon you will understand, soon." He swatted you in the side, causing you to jolt awake. You looked around, letting your eyes adjust to the darkness. The lights were turned off, the windows thrown opened. You racked your brain, trying to remember if you had done that. You got up to close the windows, noticing a piece of fabric snagged onto the sill. You picked it up, studying it carefully. It was pitch black, silky to the touch. You frowned, trying to place where you had seen fabric like it before. You sighed, placing it into your pocket before sitting back on the couch. You snapped awake when you heard the door open; not realizing you had fallen asleep again. You felt relieved as you leaped up, running to the front. You halted suddenly in the entrance, horrified. Ivan was nearly on his knees, leaning over with one arm clutching his side. The sides of his coat were torn apart, covered in blood. He looked up at you, his eyes dimming as he attempted to smile. You rushed to him as he fell forward. You could feel that he was struggling to stay conscious as he leaned against you, head on your shoulder. You felt shivers run through his body as you gently touched his sides. The skin that was visible was starting to turn dark red, reminding you of the cut you had from the pin. You stiffened, instantly piecing together what happened. Ivan, as if reading your thoughts, chuckled softly.

"I g-guess I g-got a little too careless…" He let out a sigh and fell unconscious.

You gently placed his head on the ground as you stood up. You looked back at the living room, debating how you were even going to move Ivan when the door was pushed opened up. You froze. In the doorway stood Feliks, the Janitor. He looked a mixture of bored and cross as he pushed some of his blond hair out of the way, his bright green eyes looking around, irritated.

"Dude, it's not cool to leave red stuff trailing on the hall just for me to clea-"He looked down at bloody Ivan and let out a gasp, then stared at you. You felt yourself starting to shake. He glanced back at Ivan then ran out of the room. You paused, trying to comprehend what just happened. Shaking your head, you leaned down and gently tugged on Ivan's arm. He let out a moan, causing you to jump. You felt down casted. He was too heavy for you to move, even when knocked out. You plopped down on the ground, completely unsure of what to do. Then you remembered the herbs that Ivan had. Standing up, you ran over to his room, pausing in front of his door. You realized that you had never been to his room before. Hesitantly, you opened the door and looked around. You felt a blast of semi-cool air as you entered the room. Despite the lights being off, you could see pretty well. There was a bed in the far corner of the room with a tri colored comforter on top of it with matching pillows. White, blue, and red. Across from that was dresser with carvings of horses across the top ridge. It was made of light brown wood, a contrast to the fluffy white carpet in a way. The windows were slightly open, letting in the cool night air. You walked to the dresser, noticing the picture frames on top of it. You picked one up, studying it. There were 6 people in the photo, 2 girls and the rest were guys. You could pick out Ivan right away, standing in the middle of the picture smiling innocently. You could help but smile back. You figured that the two girls, who were on either side of him, were his sisters, though had no idea which one was which. The other 3 boys in the back looked kind of nervous in the picture. You placed the photo down, glancing at the other one. Obviously Ivan was older in that, standing next to a male with black hair, who was grinning widely. He was holding a smoothie in his hands, leaning casually against Ivan, who had an exhausted smile on his face. You assumed that this was the notorious Markus. You noted the fact that is was placed to be hidden slightly behind the other photo, even though it still stood out. The glass was slightly cracked, creating a creepy shadow across Markus's face. You let out a shudder before noticing the container next to the picture. You picked the jar up, unscrewing the top off. The same familiar scent arose from it. You closed it as you walked briskly out of the room. To your surprise, Ivan was lying on the couch with Vash, Lili, and Roderich standing around him. Feliks was muttering while cleaning the floor. Vash turned to you and motioned you over. You moved slowly, to kneel next to Ivan. He stirred slightly but other than that didn't move, except the slight rise and fall of his chest. Lili looked around the room, making notes as usual. Vash also glanced around same before his eyes rested on you.

"So, how did this happen? Try to be exact and detailed. Remember, anything little thing helps." You coughed dryly, wondering if you should mention the Shape shifter and Ivan's greenhouse then decided against it. You took a deep breath and looked Vash in the eye.

"Ivan told me he was going out to do some errands so I decided to stay up and wait for him. I accidently fell asleep and woke to the sound of the door opening. So I ran to greet him but instead found him in the state you see now." Vash cocked his head to the side, his eyes studying you intently. You could tell that he didn't really believe what you said.

"Do you have any idea where he went?" You shook you head. Vash sighed. "Well," he said as he turned to Roderich "we will investigate around, see what we can find. No guarantees. Any trails he might have left behind probably washed away already." He looked back to you. 'If you find out anything helpful, don't hesitate to call us." He tipped his hat forward before walking out to the hall. Lili gave a slight bow before following. Roderich glanced over at you and sighed.

"I presume you know how to wrap up wounds?" He motioned to the jar in your hand. You nodded fiercely. He gave a little "hrmf" before leaving. By that time, Feliks had stood up, giving everything a satisfied nodded before also leaving, shutting the door behind him. You hadn't noticed how dark it was in the room till then. You gave a shiver before turning on the light. Ivan twitched but didn't stir. You walked over to the couch, slightly shaking. You looked at his sides, noting how they had become a deeper red then before, though it had thankfully stopped bleeding. You sighed and gently took off his coat and shirt, tensing up every time he flinched. His skin felt cool under your touch as you discarded the clothing to the side. You sat numbly for a moment or so before unscrewing the jar. You dipped your hand into the cream and placed it onto the cuts. They were deep, stretching from his ribs to the lower part of his back. He cringed slightly as you rubbed your fingers against them. You could feel the slight beating of his heart and the bumps of his ribs along with his muscles. You could also feel your face heat up slightly as you concentrated in applying the herbs. His breath still sounded ragged but it was slowly steading. As you finished, you glanced up at his face. He looked slightly peaceful besides the occasional twitch of his eyes. You brought your hand up to his face, feeling the softness of his cheek. He let out a little, involuntarily sigh. You giggled slightly. Then you remembered that you should probably bandage him up. You stood up, causally smoothing the wrinkles out of your shirt. You walked back to his room, replacing the jar to its place. You noticed the bandages weren't on top of the dresser so you opened the top drawer and shut it quickly. You hoped it wouldn't be in that draw… You flushed as you tried the next one. You rummaged through his shirts to find the roll buried underneath. Giving a small sigh in relief, you returned to Ivan's side. Remembering how he did it for you, you slowly wrapped up his torso. To making sure it was tight, you gave it a quick tug to seal it. Ivan let out a slight groan. You gave it one satisfied look before throwing the roll off to the side. You then studied his face as you stood over him. Slowly, you traced the bottom of his lip with your thumb before you shook your head. You were about to turn away but suddenly felt slightly dizzy from lack of sleep. You stumbled forward, landing on your knees hard. You tried to get up but found you could barely move as nausea swept over you. You groaned inwardly as you looked back at Ivan. Sighing, you scooted over and placed your head on his chest. You felt yourself flush slightly before you slipped off to dreamland.

You jolted awake from a dark void to find yourself moved onto the couch. Confused, you looked around. The room looked exactly as it had last night, except that the clothes were picked up and the door to the balcony was open. You could smell the cool morning air as you wrapped up into a blanket and walked out. Ivan was leaning against the railing, looking tired. You closed the door quietly and slipped next to him. He shifted to lean against you slightly. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, casting a red/pink glow over the land as the clouds shafted the light. You stood there for a moment, mesmerized till you adjusted you position, brushing against his side. He tensed up and cringed back a little. You turned to start to apologize but he just shook his head. It was only then that you were fully aware of how close you were. You could see the light reflect off his eyes, causing them to be a soft violet purple. His hair was all ruffled up, his bangs matted almost over his eyes. Gently, you reached up and pushed them out of the way. You could see him smile as his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer. You mentally checked for your phone, remembering that you left it on the table. You smiled at the thought of not being interrupted as you felt his breath on your face. You closed your eyes as your arms snaked around his neck. You breathed in a content sigh and heard him chuckle quietly as you felt his hair brushing against your skin. Suddenly the balcony door slammed open, causing both of you to jump back. Alfred stood there smiling but then frowned.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"


	16. Chapter 16

As you sat around the table in the living room, Ivan glared at Alfred. Alfred stubbornly ignored it, turning to you.

"So what were you guys doing on the balcony?" You felt your face become hot as you cleared your throat.

"J-just watching the sun set and… stuff." You glanced over at Ivan for help but he had become conveniently interested in a stain in the wood. You sighed. Alfred looked from Ivan to you and smiled slightly.

"Well, anyway, I came up here to check on the Russo." Ivan shot Alfred a glare but if he noticed it, he didn't acknowledge it. "So how did you get so beaten up? Did you mess with some gang or… were you attacked by the vandal?" You instantly gasped unintentionally. Alfred turned to look at you curious. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it as Ivan stood up. You could see the struggle on his face as he leaned heavily against the table.

"I would love to play games with you but I'm too tired to. So I believe you should leave, da?" A look of stubbornness flickered across Alfred's face, though only for a moment. Then he plastered a smile on and stood up also.

"Well, excuse me for breathing. I can see that you two want some privacy together." He winked at you as he walked to the door. "See yah later Russo. Shame I won't be able to bet against you in today's minor contests and games. Get better soon!" As the door closed, Ivan shakily slumped back into his chair, his breathing becoming heavier. You stood there, stunned, and then ran over to his side. He tried to dismiss you but you pushed his arm away as you leaned in for a closer inspection. He was violently shaking as he looked up at you. His eyes had dimmed slightly, full of pain and exhaustion. You gently pressed your hands to his ribs, causing his to flinch. You could feel his heart pound as he tried to stand again but instead suddenly slipped forward slightly, grabbing your arm and placing his head against your chest for support. You stayed there for a moment as his breathing became normal again. He then gave a small chuckle.

"Stupid venom…" You had barely registered what he said, he whispered so quietly. He sighed as his eyes flutter close. You watched him sadly until the idea struck you. You moved back a touch, causing him to nearly fall over. He glanced up at you tiredly as you gently placed his hands into yours.

"You should probably rest in your bed…" He looked like he was about to protest but stopped. He allowed you to bring him forward, moaning slightly. He nearly collapsed when you walked a few steps but you pulled him forward, letting him lean on you. Slowly, you made your way to his bedroom. He plopped onto the bed and allowed you to prop up his pillow. He let out a sigh of content as he leaned against it. You went to dim the lights and was halfway out the door when you heard his voice.

"[F/N]?" You paused, and then looked back.

"Yes?" He gave you a small smile.

"Nothing, I'm just happy." You smiled back as you closed the door behind you.

You were closing the open door to the balcony when you saw a shadow run across the room to the front hallway. You froze, watching for any other sign of life. When nothing happened, you finished your task and slowly walked over to the front hall entrance way. You could hear a faint crackling as you hugged against the wall, looking timidly around the bend. You gasped at what you saw. Standing in the middle of the hall was a figured enclosed in a black cloak. The head turned to look in your general direction, the cloak rippling as it moved. The rim of the hood overshadowed the face, only the outline to be seen. It paused, and then held out something, which started to glow. You started to slink back as the whole room started to spin. You leaned against the wall, struggling to stay conscious. The shadow started to stalk forward as you feebly whispered "No…" At least, you thought you did. Your vision started to fade black until you heard a voice that instantly snapped you back.

"Stop." The lights dimmed as the figure turned to the corner. From it slipped a familiar shadow. You groaned as you stared into the eyes of the Shape shifter. He gave you a wide grin before turning to the cloaked one. "She is not to be harmed…yet." He walked forward to you, placing a hand on your arm. You shuddered and involuntarily backed away. He sighed thoughtfully, tapping his fingers into your arm. He looked you up and down and smiled. "Will you come visit me now?" You blinked and stubbornly shook your head. He frowned slightly. The figure then took a step forward.

"You know, we could forcefully take her." His voice was gruff and strained. The Shape shifter shot him a glare, making him flinch.

"Fool!" He turned back to you, his eyes flaming. "She needs to come on her own free will." He then looked at the ground, pondering. Then he smiled. "Soooo, I heard that sweet Ivan got cut up." The cloaked one chuckled, which received a glare from both you and the Shape shifter before he turned back to you, bringing you closer to him. He leaned in and whispered lightly into your ear, sending shivers down your spine like always. "You know… he could die." He looked at you innocently, though his eyes were smiling brightly. You started back at him horrified at the very idea. Though you heard a little voice in your head warning you of a trap, though you pointedly ignored it. The Shape shifter smiled, knowing he had your full attention. "So, how about a little trade? An ointment for the venom, in exchange for you coming to me?" He snapped his fingers and the other brought out a jar from under his cloak. You looked at the jar in his pale fingers, tempted.

"But why would Ivan die?" The Shape shifter frowned.

"Why, he didn't tell you?" You shook your head, feeling a bit betrayed. "A direct hit from my wonderful claws injects enough venom to kill an elephant within two days, give or take. Now, our dear Ivan is not an elephant despite no matter how much he acts like one, no, so it should only take a day. One day full of unbearable pain." Images thought of how shaky he acted sped through your mind, how he was barely able to stand. You instantly dismissed the thoughts, which proved to be hard. "But…" He grinned at you, "This cream will neutralize and heal the wound. All it takes is your promise to come to me. Tonight." You frowned, staring at the jar. The Shape shifter started to impatiently tap his fingers against your arm again. Finally you looked back at him.

"How can I be sure that you're not just giving me a fake?" The thing sighed. He leaned closer, his face inches from yours.

"I give you my word as a creature bonded to the earth like all." You felt his chilly breath against your skin. You didn't know why but something about his oath made you instantly believed him. Slowly, you nodded, your hand reaching out to the jar. The cloaked one hesitated, taking a step back from you. Whipping around, the Shape shifter jabbed him in the side, hard. He yelped out, cringing as the jar flew out of his hands. You leaped forward to grab it as the thing flew past you. You barely caught its last words as it disappeared, along with the cloaked one. "See you tonight."

You stood next to Ivan's bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. You glanced at the window, watching shadows dancing in the now setting sun. Your stomach rumbled slightly as you turned back to Ivan, noting how stress free he looked while sleeping. You gingerly brushed his bangs to the left then traced his jawline. You could feel your heart start to race slightly as you pushed the covers down and his shirt up. You slowly un-wrapped the bandages, cringing at the sight of the cuts. They were indeed still as red as last night. Tenderly, you washed them. Ivan still twitched but not as violently as last time. Holding your breath, you unscrewed the jar. A sharp peppermint smell filled the air along with a small herbal scent, possible thyme. As gently as you could, you applied the stuff to his wounds. It made a hissing sound when it came in contact with his skin but released a pleasant rosemary mint smell. Ivan gave out a tiny sigh of content, which made you blush. When you finished, you went out for the bandages and wrapped him up once more. You then stood over him, unsure of what to do. On instinct, you placed your hand on his torso. You could feel his muscles as you traced your fingers up to the bandage, warmth flooding into your tips. You sighed as you pushed his shirt back down. You glanced over at his face a mirrored his tiny smile that played across his lips. He chuckled quietly as he mumbled something about "Stupid Alfred" and your name. You blushed then felt overwhelmed by guilty. You could feel tears start to form but blinked them away. Hesitantly, you leaned forward and brushed a kiss across his lips. You could feel him sigh happily as you grudgingly moved away. Without another word, you walked out the door. As you closed the door, you heard him mumble something else, but shook your head. It was probably just you imagination but you swore you heard him whisper so softly.

"I love you."


	17. Chapter 17

You stepped out into the crisp night air, shaking as you adjusted Ivan's scarf before walking to the stairs. You lifted it off of a chair it was laid across on, figuring it would be nice to have something of Ivan's near you, at least as a small comfort. As you neared the steps, you saw the same cloaked figure from before standing at the bottom, a puddle of water forming around his feet. He turned to face you as you got closer, and you could detect a slight grin was upon his face.

"Took you long enough." He looked you up and down, hrmf-ing at the scarf, but otherwise satisfied. He started to descend up the stairs but slipped. You stifled a giggle, walking over to help him up. He desperately tried to cover his head with his arms while at the same time batting away your arms. It was only then that you saw that his hood had toppled over. You froze, recognizing that familiar black hair and deep dark blue eyes, despite the mad look in them.

"M-Markus?!" He scowled, steading himself upright. Your head spun with questions, though you couldn't speak. You just gawked at him, at his pale face. _Sure, it looks like him but yet, doesn't._ His skin color was a ghostly shade with thin white scars trailing all across his face. He looked exhausted yet had a slightly mad look, his eyes blazing with energy. They were constantly flickering around, studying everything intently. Especially you. You started feeling self-conscious and turned around. You heard him sigh and felt your wrists being grabbed. As he started pulling you up the steps, you struggled against him slightly. He instantly whipped around.

"Oh, come on! I've been waiting 3 fricken years for this! YOU CAN"T BACK OUT NOW!" You cringed at the outburst, instantly stopped wriggling.

"W-what do you mean waiting" He jerked, as if taken aback, and then started to grin slowly.

"Don't worry, you will see…"

"I-"

"JUST SHUT UP AND MOVE!" He paused to calm down then started up the steps again, looking back to make sure you was following. You laughed nervously before going after him.

On the subway, he constantly looked at the only other person in your car, who he also proceeded to glare at intently. When the passenger finally let out a whimper, he nodded in satisfaction then resumed looking out the window. You huddled against the seat next to him, digging your face deeper into Ivan's scarf. You sighed as you smelled his scent on it, calming down slightly. Though you started tensing up again when we got off at the stop. About a mile from the station, Markus held up a hand, looking around. You shivered as he pulled his hood back up and toss a blanket over your head. "Stay under this till I say so." He briskly led you off to your destination, caring not if you stumbled. Well, until you tripped on a rock, causing the blanket to fly off. You looked back quickly, as Markus hurried to put it back on, to glance at what he was so worried about. You then caught a glimpse of Vash searching the ground, causing a flutter of hope. He happened to look up as your vision was once again shrouded in darkness. You felt yourself being lifted up as Markus murmured a curse, hurrying you along. You secretly hoped that Vash could somehow come after you, though you knew it was a futile thought. You didn't hear any cries of halting; only music as you was pulled though the darkness.

When the blanket came off, you found yourself standing in front of the familiar black door. You turned to Markus, questioning. He sighed, obviously annoyed, and motioned to the handle. You turned back to it, dread filling your gut. When you didn't move, he shoved you forward. Stumbling, you grabbed onto the sliver handle, feeling its engraved surface. Holding your breath, you grabbed and gave it a quick jerk. Pushing the door open, you slipped inside, Markus following you. You flicked the lights on, taking in the smell of the berries. You walked forward a step, but paused as the lights flickered. You instinctively backed up, right into Markus. He steadied you as the closed the door. Then he pushed you to the middle of the area while pulling his hood down. You gulped, looking around. You both sat there for what seemed like hours, listening to every sound. You finally turned to Markus, demanding him to explain himself, when you heard a crackling. It was soft, like a buzz of a bee, but slowly grew louder. The leaves started to rustle wildly as the shadows flickered like lights. You jerked as you felt Markus pin your arms behind your back. Suddenly, all of the lights that were shut off went on. You let out a shriek and would have jumped if not for Markus as the Shape shifter leaned over you, grinning widely.

"Ah, my dear! Welcome to the beginning! And maybe… the end."

You shivered as the Shape shifter walk around you, like a hunter stalking prey. You tried to speak but found you couldn't. Whether because you were scared or the thing put some weird spell on you, you weren't sure. The Shape shifter stopped right in front of you and frowned. He reached out and started to finger Ivan's scarf.

"Why do you have this?" He glared at you. You just stared at him, confused. You opened your mouth and finally found your voice.

"S-something wrong with it?" You mentally scolded yourself for being weak as he studied you up and down, thinking.

"No… I think this will work… If we did this instead…" He turned away and paced a few steps away. You could feel Markus shift behind you as he released your arms slightly.

"We could just put it back on before we do it." You looked at him startled.

"Do what?!" He just looked down at you and shook his head. You heard the Shape shifter chuckle quietly before he rushed back and brought your hands forward, pulling you out of Markus's grip. You made a note on how Markus cringed violently when the Shape shifter got close to him. You slightly twitched as well, feeling your wrists burn under his touch, thought oddly not as bad as previous connections. He brought up a hand to gently brush against your face. You tried to look him straight in the eyes but found yourself was shaking. He smiled brightly.

"Ah, to be young, to do anything for the one you love. Even if it means throwing yourself in harm's way to get them out of harm." He winked at you as you continued to stare at him blankly, not catching his drift. "One of the many entertaining things about humans. Though they can also be power driven…" He glanced over at Markus who was staring blankly ahead. The Shape shifter smirked a little before turning back to you. You shook your head.

"I have no idea what you're getting at." His smirk grew.

"Well, that's the point my dear. Otherwise you wouldn't have come at all. Though I'm glad you did. But, to push matters aside, you are now my guest. So as a host I must do what I can to make my guest comfortable." He motioned Markus forward. You could see the hesitation in his eyes as he walked over to you. The thing chuckled softy. "Markus, if you please, show our wonderful guest to her seat." He nodded solemnly before taking your arm and leading you to the Sunflower patch. He then leaned over and started bending the stems, along with the flowers, at all sorts of angles and tied them together. Quicker than you could blink, he stood up straight and gave a satisfied nod. You started feeling light head, trying to think up ways you could escape as he pushed you on top of a chair made of the flowers. You could feel the structure give way a little under your weight but other than that they stayed firm. Markus then stood behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders. You shivered as the Shape shifter walked from behind some of the bushed, wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. If he wasn't so creepy, you would have called him cute, in a really odd way. He glanced over at you and frowned. "That is not how the guest of honor so look, for such an important event." He gave a dramatic sigh. "Must I do everything myself?" He waved his hands in your general direction and you felt your skin burn as you watched flames crawl across your skin. You gave out a tiny shriek as your clothes appeared to burn away, leaving a silky fabric behind. Before you knew it, you were wearing a breath taking [F/C] dress that draped all the way to the ground. You blushed as you noticed that it cut low on the chest and felt really tight around the middle. You examined the gloves on your hands, awed in a way. You looked over and saw the Markus was also dressed in a tux, much to his own dismay. You could clearly see scars on his face that traced all the way down his neck. He ruffled his smoothed back hair out of shape again, causing you to giggle. He glared at you before you heard the Shape shifter tsk behind you. You turned back to him, your heart racing again. He smiled at you before tapping his top hat with a cane he morphed out of the air. All the lights went out and colorful ones took their place, started to flash. It caused eerie shadows to fall across the plants. You gasped as you saw ghostly figures dance around in front of you. You could barely make out the red glare of the Shape shifter's eyes as they flickered closed. Suddenly the lights vanished, as a lone strobe light centered onto the thing. You felt Markus tense behind you making the back of your chair snap slightly. The Shape shifter smiled slightly as he raised his arms up. You could hear Markus mumble behind you.

"N-no… not this…" You were about the turn back to ask him but felt your body freeze. You grumbled a curse and watched the Shape shifter.

"Lady and… well I can barely call you a gentleman anymore, now can I Markus?" He gave you a wink before resuming his act. "Welcome to the one and only, Shifting Midnight! Prepare to be astounded and bemused as creatures, right before your very eyes, elope into acts never seen before!" You shuddered, trying to recall where you had heard that from. Your mind pull a blank as the thing waited patiently for your attention. He gave out a slight smile as he walked towards you and picked up your hands. He leaned over to your ear and spoke very slowly into it. "I now present to you, our circus." As the realization finally hit you, you looked upon him in horror. He started laughing hysterically as he twirled back onto the center of the field. He lifted his hand and swung it down, causing smoke to rise up everywhere. All at once creatures that you had never seen before started popping from the shadows and moving slowly this way and that. Strange furniture morphed from the ground, looking strangely like hoops and cages. Inside one cage jumped little furry creatures, sharp black fangs glistening in the light. Animals that kept falling apart every time they moved limbered across the stage, attempting to balance on their heads and legs but becoming limp. A man slowly moved around the animals, bringing them back to life. Another thin shadow started to throw himself about, whistling merrily. You felt something wet hit your face and you looked up, instantly regretting what you saw. You cringed as you averted your eyes to the ground, yelping in surprise at a little shadow standing in front of you, its tiny hand on your lap. Slowly it grinned, showing mirror-like fangs. You shoved it away, only to have your hands go through them. Black gunk clung onto your skin and wouldn't some off, no matter how hard you tried to shake it off. You looked at Markus for help but saw he had backed away against the flowers, covering his face with his hands. You shivered and felt your head being turned to face a mask.

"Would you like to volunteer?" His voice echoed in your head, causing it to throb. You attempted to shake your head but found you couldn't. You felt yourself being pulled forward towards the madness. You looked at your hands and stifled a scream. They were completely covered in black goop that slowly morphed and crawled up your arms. The masked man kept walking forward, going through other shadows. You had no choice to follow, cringing as you felt a cool surface cover your skin. The dress dragged you down as it collected black stuff that started to cover the floor. A lady suddenly jumped in front of your face, apparently freeing you from the masked man for a moment. She shrieked loudly and she gripped your arms.

"RUN! RUN AWAY! RU-"She was cut off midsentence as an object was impaled into her backside. You gasped in horror as she slowly sunk to the floor, her long tail flickering back and forth. The skinny man walked up, grinning slightly.

"Opps, sorry 'bout that" He casually picked up and object from the puddle and placed it on his side. He bowed to you, snapping and falling into the puddle. You looked away, wondering how much more you could take. The masked man stood across the puddle impatiently. He grabbed your "hands" again and pulled you through the puddle. You murmured sorry as you stepped on something hard, hearing another snap. You could feel tears starting to appear but blinked them back as the masked man pushed you into a slick black chair. He gave you a half smile as the little man appeared again. He started to throw sludge on the ground onto you, which formed into chain like bonds, pinning you into the chair. You attempted to struggle as the small one turned to an invisible audience and started to speak inaudible words. You shivered involuntarily and jumped when you heard someone from behind speak.

"Quiet a view don't you think?" You turned to the grinning face of the Shape shifter. You scowled at him as you struggled against the bonds again. He tsk-ed at you and placed a finger to your lips. He pointed in the direction of the men. Holding your breath, you turned to look. You nearly shrieked at what you saw but held it in. There stood three men like creatures, not shadows like everything else. They stood quietly a few feet away, looking at you intently. They wore masks that were completely alike to one another, all red with holes for eye holes, which started vacantly at you. They had frizzy red hair that stuck out at the sides, a big oval nose and a D shaped smiley face. Other than that they wore scarecrow-like clothes that didn't at all match their hands. They looked exactly like human hands except they had long razor claws. You looked at them in horror and heard the Shape shifter snicker behind you. "Ah, every show needs clowns! Meet the Masked ones, ancient creatures just like me. Try not to look too scared dear, they can sense it very clearly. Just laugh lightly and they will leave you alone." You were about to retort back when the three Masked ones started walking slowly towards you, their heads cocked to the side. You cowered lower into your chair as one of them reached out a clawed hand towards you. Slowly, it moved its hand and stroked your face. You froze as the other followed suit. One of them slowly lowered their hand to your neck and enclosed it around your throat, pressing a finger against your pulse. You tried one last attempt to stifle a scream that was starting to build up as you felt hands grip you, shredding the dress as claws poked against your skin, slightly breaking the chains. You heard the Shape shifter whistled in amazement as a long tongue crept out of the mouth opening of the Masked one, reaching out towards your face. You finally couldn't contain yourself anymore. You screamed loudly.

"MAKE IT STOP!" The Shape shifter started to laugh, causing the Masked ones to pause. He slowly leaned forward and turned your head to face him.

"Mmm… how about no?" You could feel tears rise to your eyes as all three Masked one's tongues reached towards your face. You squeezed your eyes closed, embracing for the worst, when you heard a voice pierce through the sounds.

"[F/N]!" You jumped, your eyes flickering open. The Masked ones paused and straightened to face the audience. You shook your head, thinking that he couldn't possibly be hear when you saw a familiar fluff of hair glow against the darkness. You felt your heart leap for joy till you noticed the Shape shifter stood up, his eyes gleaming brightly. Then he started to crackle hysterically. The shadows around you started to shatter, like black mirrors crackling against the light. The Masked ones looked curiously at the Shape shifter, listening intently as he started laughing harder. They shrugged and ran off to a black mirror. They stepped through it, which instantly fell over and shattered with everything else. The room started blaring brighter as things started to fall down from the ceiling, melting and molting away. You felt pieces of glass cut across your face as you closed your eyes. The noise disappeared instantly, minus the laughing from the Shape shifter. You opened your eyes to find yourself chained to the same chair from the show. You shivered as you looked over at Markus, who was still cowering in the corner, hiding under his hood. And there stood Ivan, near the entrance. You could see relief flicker across his face. You gave him a tired smile, barely aware of tears that fell down your face. You then noticed that he was blushing slightly. Puzzled, you looked down at your clothes and groaned. They were pretty shredded up, slowing light cuts lining your torso. You noticed that his scarf was completely unscathed and felt a little relieved. You glanced back at Ivan and noticed that he was glaring at the thing next to you, who was still laughing his head off. You glanced over and saw that the Shape shifter was now on the floor, trying to calm himself down. You looked at him confused before it hit you. You instantly whipped around to face Ivan.

"Ivan, run!" He looked at you puzzled. Before he could say something, the Shape shifter shakily got to his face, still chuckling wildly.

"Ah, Ivan! Welcome to the show. I was just giving you little friend an experience of a life time! You had fun, didn't you?" He turned to you and smiled. You just glared at him. He turned back to Ivan and grinned widely. "Though sadly, my old friend, this may be your last night ever." You attempted to yelp out a warning as he brought a hand forward. Ivan tried to move but was slammed into with a black tree that erupted from the ground, dripping with similar goop to before, and was pinned into the wall. He growled as he tried to struggle against the structure, only barely managing to get an arm free as braches grew from the tree and snaked around his body. He twitched as they prodded against his sides but tried to keep a straight face. The Shape shifter smiled before slipping the scarf off your neck and walked over to him. He wrapped the scarf around Ivan before taking a step back, studying the scene before giving it a satisfied nod. "Ah, this reminds me of that beautiful night long ago. Except this time, I will be free and you will be dead."


	18. Chapter 18

Ivan let out a small growl as the Shape shifter walked over to Markus, who was still cowering. While kicking the poor thing, you stole a glance over at Ivan. You found him staring at me sadly, mouthing a small _I'm sorry_. You shook your head furiously but he just looked down at the ground. You sighed as the Shape shifter started walking back over, dragging Markus behind him. He motioned towards you and Markus nodded his head before coming closer and dragging your chair forward. He attempted to say something to you but you pointedly ignored him stubbornly. Sighing, he placed you a few feet away from the dark tree. You then noticed that Ivan was studying Markus curiously before the Shape shifter snapped his attention back to him. He smiled smugly at Ivan.

"So how do you feel Ivan? Does it feel good, to be helplessly pinned, with no way to escape." He walked over to your seat and tipped your head to face him. You saw Ivan from the corner of your eye tense up. The Shape shifter chuckled. "You have to admit, she is pretty. Which worked perfectly for my plan." He then turned to Markus, who cringed a little. "Do you have the pin?" Wordlessly, Markus looked down at the ground as he lifted up a plastic bag. Inside was the same black pin, except the bead at the top had grown into a full moon shape, glistening bright red. You squeaked in surprise as the Shape shifter turned to you and smiled. "I would like to take a moment to thank you for generously donating blood to our cause." You inwardly groaned, remembering the wound on your torso, which had recently faded into a light scar. You murmured a curse as the Shape shifter tsk-ed at you. "Now, all that's left is for you, as the lovely guest of honor," He took a step forward and drew yourself closer to him, causing the black chains to break. "Is to make a wish." You heard Markus squeak in a mixture of surprise and horror as you started at the Shape shifter, confused. You attempted to pull yourself out of his grip but he pulled you closer, placing a hand to your face. Markus then took a timid step forward. The Shape shifter turned to him, giving his a warning glare but Markus came closer anyway. You could see him shaking, from fear or rage you couldn't tell.

"B-but I thought I was the one to make a wish." The Shape shifter rolled his eyes. He once again glanced over at Markus darkly, who finally back off a little.

"Why would I give you the wish now? You had your chance to kill him." He pointed over at Ivan, who started to look confused.

"Wait, what do you mean? Markus was the only who trie-" You watched as he turned to Markus slowly, the realization suddenly hitting him. "M-markus?" Markus slowly turned to face Ivan, sighing sadly. As he threw back his hood, a small gasp escaped Ivan. The Shape shifter tapped his foot impatiently, shaking his head. Ignoring him, Ivan studied Markus both sadly and relieved. "I-I thought you died…" Markus glared at him, making Ivan cringed slightly.

"You know what? I wish I was completely dead! And it's all your fault!" Ivan looked stunned, and then scowled.

"What do you mean my fault?" Markus looked to the ground stubbornly.

"If you had stopped struggling and submitted to your fate, I could be a famous! But no, I have to be a stupid servant! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU" You shivered slightly, your mind already racing. Before Ivan could retort, the Shape shifter snorted and moved to block both of their views.

"Will you too shut up? Shesh, you both argue like a married couple." You let out an exasperated giggle at the thought, though regretting it instantly when he smiled. "See?" He traced your jaw line with a finger, making you tense up. "Even the lady agrees with me." You tried to push him away, but that made him draw you closer. Markus had turned away by then and stalked off. Ivan, his attention now completely on you, looked desperate as he tried to strain against his bonds.

"Please, leave her alone! It's me you want." The Shape shifter paused for a moment, and then started laughing.

"Do you know how stupid you sound? Just like some crazy romantic book! Well, here is a hint for you." He let you go and stalked up to Ivan, clutching the front of his scarf in his hand. "I got you both here for a reason. It's beyond entertaining to watch you squirm around helplessly, completely agonized, before I kill you, my master." Ivan tipped his head to the side, trying to comprehend what the Shape Shifter meant as he straightened up. He glowed down at Ivan before pacing off. You gave yourself a mental check to see if you could move and nearly hit yourself in the progress. You ran over to Ivan as the thing started to mumble under his breath. You reached down and grabbed Ivan's hand. He gave you a small smile, squeezing your hand gently. You started to try to pry the branch off him, despite his protests, when you felt your body freeze again. You shivered as the Shape shifter hung over you from behind, glaring down. He plucked your hand from Ivan's grip and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you back up. "So you thought that distracting me would allow you to try to save your lover. You sure are odd." He delicately placed his fingertips on your cheek. He started to draw them slowly across your face, causing you to wince. He drew them back, which were now red. He smiled creepily and was about to lean in closer when Ivan piped up.

"So why did you call me your master?" The Shape shifter rolled his eyes.

"Obviously you didn't study enough about me. When you stabbed me with that pin." He nodded at the bag that currently lay on the floor. You figured Markus dropped it when he stormed away. Speaking of Markus, you wondered where he was. Though your attention snapped back at the Shape shifter as he started running his hand through your hair, "It might of sealed me to this room, but also to you at the same time." Ivan shuddered involuntarily but kept a straight face, listening intently. "So in order for me to be free, you must die. Or at least order me to go free but then I'm still bond to you… and would still have to wait on your every order. Besides, I would prefer to see you dead." Ivan shook his head, confused.

"What about the people at the circus? The Illusionist! He didn't die." The Shape shifter groaned.

"Obviously he wasn't my master. I was sealed long ago, by a wizard who died a long time ago at the same time. Though I couldn't leave my prison, the pin acting as my lock. Then they came along. The horrible freak show. They undid my seal, forcing me to become a stage act. They made a new seal and gave the pin to the snake women to wear as jewelry, protecting it from my reach. There I waited, plotting my revenge. Till, of course…" He smiled slyly at Ivan and tightened his grip around you even more. "You and your apprentice came along. Ah, I remember it now." He stared off into the distance, a grin flickering across his face. "From where I could see, the members were instantly interested in you, the way you acted so disinterested. You especially perked the interest of the Ring leader, who was interested in your youth; along with some… eternal feeling that seemed to fallow you. They figured they could somehow get you onto stage and kidnap you away, making you into a clown, a simple play thing for them." Ivan looked at him horrified, shaking his head slightly. You felt pity for him, secretly glad that Markus went up instead but instantly scolded yourself for such a thought. The Shape shifter smiled brightly as he continued on. "Of course, when Markus volunteered instead, all their hopes were crushed. I then knew instantly it was my time to shine." He chuckled softly, watching Ivan's face closely. Ivan was staring at the ground, slightly shocked. But then he glared up at the thing, his eyes turning a violent shade of purple.

"So you did do something to Markus…" You could barely make out what he said under his breath after that, but it sounded like a dark laugh that sent shivers down your spine. The Shape shifter pretended to look hurt, though a smile still lingered on his lips.

"It's not my fault. He already had ideas in his head; all they needed was a little push to bloom. He had intense desires, a strong want to be famous, to be loved. Not just a shadow. So what if I might have leaded him a little. But it worked. He set up everything himself, killing the accursed woman and finding a perfect place to release me, somewhere quiet." He glanced around at your surroundings. "It's better than nothing I guess. Though, as you know, he had one flaw. Blood to fully purify the seal." He glowered as he looked down at the ground, then back at Ivan. "But now I'm going to complete what should have happened all those years ago." He released you as he stalked forward to Ivan, his fingertips growing to long claws. Ivan cringed as the Shape shifter pulled down his scarf slightly and dug the tips of his claws against Ivan's throat. His skin started to turn red as the thing slowly pulled his fingers up, reaching Ivan's jaw. Ivan gasped as the Shape shifter dug his claws deeper, drawing blood. You tried to fight back the tears, straining against the invisible bonds that once again held you. You felt something shift slightly as you willed yourself to move. The Shape shifter didn't seem to notice as he leaned closer to Ivan, grinning. Ivan twitched and tried to struggle, letting out a cry of pain. The Shape shifter started laughing manically, lifting his claw as if preparing to strike. "See you around, _Master_."

Your heart pounded as everything seemed to slow down. You watched as the Shape shifter's claws came down, closer to Ivan. Though he wasn't looking at him. He was looking straight at you, with a small sad smile. You don't know what happened then but you felt something rise up within you. With one desperate lung, you felt something snap as you stumbled forward forcefully. You slammed into the back of the Shape shifter, causing him to lose balance and fall to the side. You felt yourself land against something soft and slightly cringed. You felt something behind placed on your head and tried to shake it off. Slowly, your head was brought up, to look into Ivan's face. He chuckled softly before drawing his attention back to the Shape shifter, who had tumbled into a bush. He whipped around and growled, eyeing you carefully. He eyes changed into a glowing red as he stalked forward. You felt Ivan wrap his arm around protectively, pushing you closer to him. You blushed, feeling so useless. The thing barked out a laugh, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

"You really think you can do anything _Master_, in the state you are in?" You watched him step closer, beginning to loam over us. Then you remembered something.

"What about my wish?" The Shape shifter came to a sudden halt, taken aback by what you said. Both of them stared at you as you licked your lips nervously. "You said that I get a wish, didn't you?" The Shape shifter simply stared at you blankly then started clutching his side, laughing. You blushed slightly, wishing you could just melt away. After a minute or so, the Shape shifter stopped, trying to catch his breath. He wheezed slightly as he attempted to keep a straight face.

"You are just too cute. Do you really think I grant wishes? I'm not a genie." You felt disappointment flicker across your face, along with guilt.

"So you don-"

"OF COURSE NOT!" You shrunk against Ivan even more. "Even if I did, do you think I would give them away so freely? Please." When you looked over at him puzzled, he hurried to explain. "I only said that to Markus and you to get both of you to help me. It was beyond easy, which was good for me. But no, I do not grant wishes. Now please get out of my way before I decide to kill both of you here and now." You stared down at the ground, crestfallen, till you noticed that Markus was standing right behind the Shape shifter. You could tell Ivan did too, looking at him pained. Markus himself had a look of horror on his face as he regarded the creature carefully.

"You lied to me?" The Shape shifter whipped around startled and frowned slightly, swearing under his breath. He regarded Markus carefully as if he was a bomb about to blow.

"Yes Markus, I lied to you. But…" He licked his lips nervously, stumbling on his words. "But it was for the best." You watched his reaction, which puzzled you. You turned to Ivan and whispered quietly.

"Any idea why he is so nervous?" Ivan just shook his head. You started to ponder about it when you felt something snake up your leg. You jumped, only to be tugged down by a black vine. Ivan reached forward and tried to snag it off but it then started wrapping around his hand as well. You heard the Shape shifter chuckle quietly, though you saw that he didn't turn to look at you. He was still focused on Markus, who was looked dazed. The Shape shifter was attempting to talk to him but he didn't respond.

"Markus, I can still do something, I can make sure you are still on top. You just need to trust me. We can kill them and be free, together. What do you say?" He stepped forward and placed a hand on Markus's shoulder. Without warning, Markus slapped his hand away. The Shape shifter took a step back, obviously stunned. You felt the vine around your leg loosen slightly, allowing both of you to pull free from it. You heard Ivan starting to shift from under the tree but you kept your eyes on the pair, tensing up. You could sense that something didn't feel right. Markus glared at the Shape shifter, the air around him turning cold.

"How could you make me famous? Who would even want to be with me, as I am?" He took a step forward, causing the Shape shifter to walk backwards. The creature growled softly.

"Markus, please. I can help." Markus shook his head.

"If you can't grant wishes, you can't return me to normal. That's all I've wanted since that night." You felt Ivan's hand grab yours. You turned around to see that he had gotten free, though covered in scratches. He gave me a small smile before turning back to the people. You followed suit, your mind racing. _What did he mean, "Return him normal"?_ Ivan probably was thinking of the same thing because he stepped forward, his voice shaking slightly.

"What do you mean, return you to normal? What's wrong?" Markus turned and glared at Ivan, and then his glaze softened a bit. He shook his head.

"I guess it's not really your fault that I'm what I am now." Ivan tilted his head, obviously puzzled. Markus glanced over at the sunflowers, dazing off. The Shape shifter cleared his throat nervously.

"Markus, let's talk this over after killing him, okay?" You squeezed Ivan's hand tighter, afraid to let go. But to your relief, Markus continued to look away.

"He won't be able to undo what has been done." He turned around sharply to scowl at the Shape shifter, who flinched backwards. "What you have done." You watched horrified as his eyes turned into an icy blue, his hair starting to lighten into a fine dark grey. His face became pale, making his scars become white. You felt your hand being held on a death grip as you glanced over at Ivan. He was staring down at the ground, emotions playing across his face. Markus had also glanced over at Ivan and smiled sadly. You looked at both of them, confused.

"I don't get it, what is wrong with Markus?" Ivan turned to you and gently placed his other hand on your face, brushing against your cheek. You only noticed then that it was covered in scratches, probably from being trapped under the tree. You pulled it to your mouth and kissed it gently. The Shape shifter was pretending to gag as Ivan chuckled before placing both of your hands into his. He was stumbling over his words, almost as if he distrusted them.

"I believe Markus is a Ghost-Like…" You stared at Ivan, confused.

"Um…What's a Ghost-Like?" Ivan sighed. He looked away from you, starting at the ground.

"They ar-"

"They are Unforgivables, creatures that shouldn't even exist." You both turned to Markus, who was looking shamefully at the ground. You still weren't sure what he meant. You was about to inquire more but Ivan gently placed a finger to your mouth, causing you to blush. He then glanced over at Markus, his eyes full of pity. Markus, as if sensing your question continued on to explain. "Even though I am as real as I seem to be, I have no physical right to be here." He glared over at the Shape shifter, who met it head on. "The true of the matter is I'm dead. At least my body is. It's true what Ivan said, I was killed on that night long ago. But he…" He raised his pale arm and pointed a shaky finger at the creature. "He used his powers to force my soul here, forcing it back to my cold body. I can feel myself slowly disappear every day and IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF HIM!" You shuddered as the air began turning cold. Some of the flowers near Markus began to wilt as he came closer to the Shape shifter, causing him to take a step farther back, as if fearing Markus. You still felt really lost and sighed, in spite of the situation. Ivan chuckled quietly before finally clarifying the situation.

"A Ghost-Like is a ghoul whose soul has been forced back to its original body, as Markus said. But the original body can't maintain the connections it once did, so it slowly falls apart. It's a wonder that he has even lasted this long…" You were about to pester him further before a shape whizzed by you. You looked to see the Shape shifter climbing up one of the trees, shaking. Markus had then walked up, a cold flame reflecting in his eyes.

"Come back here Shape shifter. Your games are over." He leaned over and picked up the pin, which frosted over to his touch. You felt your head sway as you tried to comprehend what was happening now. You felt Ivan's arms circle around you as you numbly watched Markus stalking after the Shape shifter. There was fear in his eyes, something I have never seen before. He hissed at Markus as he danced from tree branch to tree branch, which were all starting to die from Markus's touch.

"Come on Marky, you can't do this to me. Who has been looking after you all these years? I can help!" Markus simply shook his head. The creature then disappeared through the tree. You jolted, looking around for him nervously. You hadn't realized that you had walked out of Ivan's grasp somehow and stumbled forward. Sometimes you wish you would just stay put. Without warning, you felt something wrap around your body, constricting tighter around you. You mentally slapped yourself as you turned to look into the blazing eyes of the creature. He turned back to glare at Ivan, who had rushed forward but stopped just a few feet from you, looking at you helplessly. When Ivan tried to step forward closer, a black blob whipped across his face, making him fall backwards. You cringed as his face started to burn red and tried to tell him stop as he got up and tried again, but something snaked over your mouth, muffling you. He then turned to face Markus and smiled confidently.

"Don't come any closer or I will kill her." Markus rolled his eyes and started to come closer. You heard the thing growl into your ear as his arm snaked around your throat, cutting off air. You let out a muffled squeak, which cause Markus to stop just a few feet away from you, like Ivan. The Shape shifter laughed. "That's what I thought. Now, stay there quietly as I finish what I started." You tried to glance at Ivan, only to find him not there. You could feel that the Shape shifter was also surprised to as he turned around quickly. You heard a clunk and fell forward from the thing, joyful for the air. You turned to see Ivan standing over the thing with a metal pipe, which was splatted with black stains, raised above his head. His eyes were a violent purple as he laughed creepily, sounding like _KolKolKol. _He brought his pipe down, only for the creature to dart away. Then he lunged forward at Ivan, his fingers turning into long claws. Ivan held the pipe as if it was a sword and managed to block most of the attack, through a few snuck past and stabbed him into his sides. He fell to his knees, blood starting to seep through the rips. He growled irritated as he tried to stand up again, though failing. You got up and bolted to his side, throwing yourself between him and the Shape shifter. You heard him tell you to get out of the way but ignored him, holding your ground. You glared at the Shape shifter, who was laughing as he stalked forward. He then froze, a look of horror crossing across his face. He arched forward slightly, revealing that Markus stood behind him, his hand buried in the thing's back. His eyes had dimmed as he fell forward, crashing onto of the Shape shifter. The Shape shifter let out a screech, clawing at the ground in front of him. You heard Ivan gasp behind you and saw that he was clutching his chest, pain spreading across his face. The sound of something shattering filled the room, distracting your attention from Ivan. The pin had fallen to the ground and broke into pieces, splattering blood onto the ground. You shuddered as you watched Markus's body start breaking up before it became a pile of dirt. The Shape shifter was still withering on the ground when it stilled. You turned back to Ivan, who was struggling to stand. You reached over to support him from falling, having him lean on you. You both looked over at the Shape shifter, whose body gave one final twitch, before something exploded. Both of you jumped as smoke eloped the room. Coughing, you started to lead Ivan to the door, finding that it wasn't there. Puzzled, You walked throw the gaping opening, almost tripping over Vash, who was on the ground. He was covered in dust and looked at you surprised before narrowing his eyes, glancing over at the door. Both Ivan and you shared a glance of dread as he glared back at both of you.

"You sure have a lot of explaining to do."


	19. Chapter 19

You sat on a bench in the police station, glancing over at Elizabeta. She was talking with Vash, casting an occasional glance of pity at you and shaking her head. You shivered, wondering how Ivan was doing currently. They had whisked him off to another room right away when you got here. His face was pale at that time as he struggled to stand. This was odd because you yourself felt perfectly fine though, which now that you thought about it odd since the Shape shifter touched you more than him. You looked down at your skin, noticing that it wasn't burned at all. _Does that mean that I'm…?_ You shook my head, immediately dismissing the thought. You looked up to the wall, jumping back a bit. You hadn't seen that someone had plopped down next to you. It took you a minute to place a face but you recognized him as the man who was wearing cat ears at the party. You gasped and instantly felt awkward. He looked over at you with lazy light green eyes and nodded slightly, pushing his brown hair out of his face.

"Its… good to see you." You noted that a cat crawled up to his head, meowing. You coughed awkwardly, nodding back.

"It's good to see you too?" He looked back to the floor, dazing off. You sighed and glanced back over at Elizabeta and Vash, only to find they had vanished. You jumped as the man next to you spoke up again, his soft voice making you feel sort of sleepy.

"If you're looking for…them, they aren't… here." You turned to face him, who was still watching the ground. "My name is… Detective Heracles Karpusi. But…" He straightened up a little, leaning back onto the bench back. "You can call me… Heracles." You studied him curiously, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "So, where were you…?" He turned to you, watching my every reaction, "3 days ago?" You stared at him confused.

"Um, I was in the Bazar, preparing for the Cook Off?" He simply shook his head before leaning forward, his hands gripping your shoulders gently.

"The Cook Off was a few days… ago. You yourself have been missing for… 5 days." You stared at him again before the realization started to creep over you. You shook off his hands and stood up.

"No, how could I have been missing that long?! I swear, the Cook off was yesterday..." He studied you lazily, as if trying to figure out whether to believe you or not. He instead simply shook his head again, irritating you further. "If you really are curious to know, why don't you go ask Ivan?" His eyes softened a bit sympathetically as he motioned for you to sit again. Puzzled, you slipped back onto the bench. He leaned in closer, causing the cat to tumble off with a meow.

"Ivan was moved to the hospital… noted to be in critical condition..." You stifled a sob as you felt tears form. You blinked them away instantly, desperate to know more. Though Heracles sighed thoughtfully, obviously not wishing to continue on the topic. "So… now you know why… we are asking you…" He leaned over and picked up the cat from the ground, stroking its fur. You stared at the ground numbly, torn on what to say. You hadn't even noticed that the cat was now on your lap, purring. You instinctively scratched behind its ears, calming down a little. "Could you… at least explain this?" You looked up to him as he brought forward a phone. You recognized it instantly. It your phone that you had left in your room when you had left. Confused, you picked it up. Heracles motioned for you to turn it on. You pressed a button, causing the screen to explode to life. You noticed the screen was on the voice mail menu, showing that you had received a message that was 4 days old. You fingers instinctively flickered to a random button as you placed the phone to your ear, holding your breath. Ivan's voice erupted from the speaker, his voice desperate and strained. The massage was broken up as if it was electrocuted.

"_[F/N]?! Where are yo- You weren't there wh- came to. – safe? – You aren't wi- are you? Please be safe when I g- come back. Get away from the- Please, please just com- Call me if you can. I will fin- Be safe._" You felt your heart pound as you lowered your hand. Your chest flooded with guilt as the room suddenly felt hotter. You turned to Heracles, trying desperately to grasp onto words. He waited patiently, stroking the cat's fur the whole time.

"I-I need to go to him…" You expected him to protest but he simply nodded, standing up. He walked out the door, motioning for you to follow. Your body protested as you shakily stood up and walked after him, dazed. Oddly, you hadn't noticed how you got there but before you knew it, you were in front of a white door. Nurses in short dress casted questioning glances at you but hurried on under Heracles's lazy glaze. You prepared yourself mentally as you reached towards the handle, your hand shaking. You paused as it landed on the cool surface of the handle. You glanced over at Heracles, who just nodded in approval. You pushed the door open and slipped into the smell of metal.

The room was like any other hospital room. Everything was white and plain, even the light streaming in from the curtains. You peeked outside to see the sun just rising above the ground line. Memories of that day, supposedly many days from today, flew across your mind. You unconsciously rub your bottom lip with your thumb, sighing at the very thought of the kiss. You then remembered why you were there. You turned slowly to face the bed in the far corner of the room. You tentatively walked closer to it; feeling like your heart was slowly being re-torn apart. Ivan lay upon the bed, barely moving. You fear for the worst till you saw the slight rise of his chest. It was then that you also noticed that his shirt was removed, showing the define outline of his muscles, along with scars beyond the recent ones. You flushed slightly as you traced your fingers along his chest. Glancing at his face, the feeling of guilt overwhelmed you as you studied the unnatural expression of his face. It was an odd expression that showed no sign of contentment or pain, almost as if he was really dead. You tried to shake those thoughts away but kept seeing images of Ivan bleeding at the back of your mind. With a shaky sob, you sank to your knees, placing your head on his chest. You intertwined you fingers with his still ones and desperately squeezed them. You tried not to think of what you would do if he… but the ideas just wouldn't go away. You could feel silent tears fall as the realization of everything came crashing down upon you. You hadn't even noticed that your fingers were being squeezed back till you heard a familiar soft voice.

"Oh come on, you're going to make me cry." You lifted your head to meet Ivan's soft violet eyes. You held your breath before leaping forward, wrapping your arms around his neck. You heard him groan slightly but instead of protesting he wrapped his arms around your torso, pinning you against him. You stayed in the embrace for a moment before you slipped away from him, still within an arm's length. He smiled slightly before lifting a hand to brush stray tears away from your face. You sighed happily as you leaned in slightly to his warm hand. "I missed you." He whispered softly, as if he couldn't believe you were there himself. You suddenly felt guilty again as you remembered.

"I-I'm sorry I made you worried…" Ivan looked at your face, studying it intently.

"You're not hurt, are you?" You shook your head, blushing slightly.

"Not as hurt as…" You gestured to his scars and he smiled slightly.

"It's fine. I've had worst." You silently eyed his other scars and sighed. You sat there in silence for a moment, both uncertain what to say. Finally, you couldn't stand being in the dark any more.

"So, what happened while I was… Away?" Ivan turned to stare at the covers, choosing his next words carefully.

"I woke up the next day after you had supposedly left. At first I thought that you had maybe just gone to the other contests or something but when you hadn't returned, I started worrying. I asked others if they had seen you but none had…" He frowned as he started smoothing out the wrinkles of the sheet. "It hadn't dawned on my till the next day that you might have gone to him… When I tried to go to the green house, I was blocked by police tape and such at the alleyway. Desperately, I tried to call you but no such luck..." You nodded slightly, the massage echoing in your head. "So later that night I decided on sneaking into the place. When I saw you in the chair surrounded by those creatures I…" He sighed exasperated, clutching onto the blankets. You placed your hand on his and gave it a gently squeeze. He looked up at you, a small smile playing on his lips. "What matters is you are safe now, and that I will make sure you won't be bothered ever again." You looked at him puzzled as he looked away sheepishly.

"Do what?" Ivan sighed, still not looking at you.

"After the results, I'm thinking of sending you home. I believe it would be best if you don't stick around me… With my reputation and all…" Instinctively you grabbed his arm, bringing yourself closer to him.

"NO! I won't let you do that, not because of this. Ivan, you can't!" He stared at you surprised before simply sighing and gently trying to pry your hand off of his arm. It was only then you noticed how close you were to him. You felt your heart race as options went through your mind. Ivan seemed to notice to because he paused. You both blushed a little.

"[F/N], I-"

"Ivan, I-"

He moved his head to face you as you instinctively inched forward, slipping against him. His arms snaked around your waist as yours wrapped around his neck. Your mind blurred as your lips brushed against each other. You felt your face flush even more and could tell that Ivan's did too as your mouths connected. At first it was simply but slowly grew into something hungrier. You felt his tongue push against your lips, slipping into your mouth. He then broke for a moment, gasping for breath, before resuming. You felt his heart beat against yours as your hands traced down his arms. His own arms had moved down to the small of your back, pressing you further together. He moved his lips down your jawline to your neck, brushing kisses against your skin. You let out a small sigh and could feel him smile. It felt so brief when he stopped, breaking away. He placed his hand onto your cheek and chuckled.

"Really, you are too intoxicating." You smiled slyly as you leaned forward a little closer again. He looked shocked for a moment but returned your smile with a drop dead sexy one. He then pulled you closer to him again, running his fingers through your hair. Your lips barely brushed when the door whammed open. You both jumped and turned to see Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio standing in the hall. Gilbert had a big goofy grin on his face and was about to step in and say something when he paused. He looked you up and down as Francis coughed slightly. Antonio was looking away conveniently at something in the hall. You only then noticed that you were practically onto of Ivan, still in his embrace. And he was shirtless. Gilbert gave you one final study before sighing.

"Well… this is not awesome." He reached out and closed the door, leaving you alone once again. After a moment of awkward silence, you shakily got up and off of the bed, your face still red. But before you could step away, Ivan reached out and grabbed your hand, pulling you back to him.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet." He smirked as he gave you one final kiss on the lips. When he released you, you felt a little dazed. You sighed deeply as you turned to face him.

"So, your still not thinking of… deporting me off, are you?" Ivan frowned slightly, looking over at the windows.

"Well…I guess I wouldn't have tot... If there is nothing out there that tells me otherwise. But I'm warning you, at the hint of disturbance and you have to go." He faced back to you and smiled. "Nothing personal." You laughed and felt like resuming what you had started when the door opened a bit. You groaned inwardly as Arthur popped his head through the opening, obviously not wanting to interrupt something. _Guess it will just have to wait…_ What you didn't expect was for him to open the door, revealing that many of the masters where out in the hall. Instantly they came flooding in, somehow all fitting into the room. About half of them crowded Ivan's bed, the other half around you. You felt lost in the sea of voices, inquiring about your health and whereabouts. You then felt yourself encompassed in arms. You looked up to see [Friend's F/N] hugging you tightly. When she released you, she still held your hands tightly.

"OMG! I was so worried! When I heard you were missing, I freaked! Are you alright?!" You awkwardly nodded, barely comprehending all the questions thrown at you. In the madness, Alfred stood up on a chair and yelled out over the crowd.

"HEY! LISTEN TO ME!" Everything instantly went silent and turned to face him. He smiled confidently while jumping down, walking through the crowd to you. [Friend's F/N] let go of your hands and walked to the side, still really close to you. Giving her a quick smile, you faced Alfred, who smiled brightly. "Hey, I'm glad to hear you are safe!" Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. "So, the question on everyone's mind is…" He did a little drum roll while grabbing Kiku's microphone, who at the time was trying to get up closer. He looked a little dismayed but shrugged his shoulders. Alfred held the microphone out towards you, his face turning slightly serious. Before he even spoke, you knew what he was going to ask. "The million dollar question is…. Where were you?" You could feel that all eyes were on you as you stood there, shaking. You glanced over at Ivan for help. He gave you an uncertain smile, though his eyes were full of sadness. You turned back to the mic and took a deep breath.

"As you know, I had watched the damage of the Vandal and noticed how it took quite a toll on everyone. I couldn't stand it… So I decided to go after him myself." Gasps erupted through the crowd, which soon turned into whispers. Looking back at Ivan, you could tell that he was surprised too, though for an entirely different reason. You glanced again at Alfred, who nodded his head for you to continue. You then launched into an unbelievable story full of gangsters and people out for revenge. You replaced the frightening shadows of those days with guns and masks, trying to keep yourself from laughing half the time as you explained how you were captured and was planned to be used for ransom. "And it would have happened too if not for…" You turned to Ivan, who was looking at the ground sheepishly, "If not for my amazing hero, Ivan."

The room exploded with voices, some congratulating Ivan, some just in general talking about how horrible it all was. No one noticed you slip out of the room, except for Ivan, whose eyes you could feel staring at you the whole way. In the hall, you walked over to the nearest window and pushed it wide open, taking in the cool air. Sighing, you slid down to the ground, watching leaves flutter pass the window. You knew that if you told anyone the truth, they either wouldn't believe you or would get upset at the very idea of what happened. You then heard footsteps. You looked up to see Gilbert in front of you, grinning.

"Hey, you know, that story was awesome!" You gave him a small smile like you did in the room then stared at the ground. He, to your surprise, sat down next to you, looking around. "So, anyway, it was just a story… right?" You looked over at him surprised. His face had gone from its usual smirking to business. "Sorry, but I kind of doubt that there are gangsters in this town… even if the underground it beyond fishy." He glanced over at you as you looked away, blushing.

"Does everyone think that?" He paused for a moment then shook his head.

"Many probably think that it might be true. The way you described it, it seemed logical enough. But many of us have been here long enough to know that the vandal wouldn't be a group of gangsters messing around." He sighed as he turned to you, his red eyes glinting with curiosity. "Though the Ivan bit is not exactly farfetched, no matter what anyone thinks. Especially the way he looked at you all the time." He gave you a wink, causing you to blush. "Though, it still doesn't make sense. From what I heard, you didn't even know time had passed. And technically you would, if you were prisoned with gangsters. So…" He leaned closer to you, causing you to shiver. "What really did happen?" You stared into those flaming red eyes of his, starting to feel nervous.

"N-nothing happened…" After a heartbeat, you couldn't help but look away again. You could feel his eyes study you, burning into your back. He then sighed.

"Well, it is your business after all. Just inquiring." He gently turned your head to him and swore softly in German. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset…" You hadn't even noticed you were crying, which seemed to happen a lot recently. You felt like you were going to explode soon. You silently sent an apology to Ivan as you accepted a handkerchief Gilbert was holding out to you. He was about to get up and go before you grabbed his hand. He glanced at you surprised then sank back down to the ground. He sat there patiently as you mentally prepared yourself. You then finally looked him straight in the eyes.

"This is what really happened…"


	20. Chapter 20

By the end of the story, you had felt a little pleased to be able to go through the whole thing without freaking out. Gilbert had sat there patiently, listening to every detail. Though you did leave out that Ivan had a Green House, which you felt that it was his own private info. When you finished, you glanced over at Gilbert, wondering what he was thinking. You sat there for a minute or so before he pulled you to him in a quick hug. He then released you, still holding you close while studying your face.

"You poor thing… Those creatures are never easy." You stared at him surprised.

"Wait, so you have dealt with them before." He looked away to the ground, shaking his head.

"Well, not earthbound spirits much but… in the category area." He sighed. "It's a long story." You tilted your head, instantly curious. You could tell Gilbert noticed because he smiled sadly at you. "Guess it's my turn to show and tell." He cleared his throat, looking down towards to ground. "Both Ivan's parents and mine were close once. So of course we were expected to get along. At first we hated it but after something happened… we developed a grudging respect for each other." He held up his hands to silence your questions. "I know, I know, what is the big event your thinking? Well, basically one day at Ivan's home town, we went to the woods to explore. Now, the town of Aelite is famous for many things. Though it used to be very infamous for… well, let's say creatures. Such as our friendly Shape shifter. So, long story short, we ran into one of those creatures… Zimbliees as Ivan calls them." You instinctively shivering as you thought of the description Ivan had given. "Well, at the time, I had acted totally… un-awesome. So it might or might not have involved Ivan saving my butt. Though…" He let out a little chuckle, "I did return the favor later, but that's a whole other story." He paused, glancing to see if you were still paying attention. You nodded for him to continue. "Later after that I've run into many other things with Ivan. Trust me; he is like a magnetic for those things… I guess we both are. Anyway we don't hang out much ever since… this and that and fun… family probes/deaths and such..." You nodded again, urging for him to continue. But he didn't. Instead, you sat for a moment before he spoke up again. "So I get where you are coming from with the whole scary spirit thing. Also, it's a shame about Markus…" You sadly looked to the ground.

"I wish I could have done something." He looked at you in surprise then stood up.

"Shesh, you're starting to sound like that boring Russian." With a smirk, he helped you to your feet. By then a nurse had walked into the room and started shooing people out. Alfred gave you a quick smile before dragging Arthur off behind him. You turned to Gilbert and grinned.

"Thank you Gilbert, I really needed that." He mocked a frown and placed his hand on your head.

"Aw, you're making me cry." He winked before walking after Antonio and Francis. After watching the last people leave the room, you poked your head in. Ivan was sleeping again, looking more comfortable than before. You felt yourself smile as the nurse pushed you out of the room. You turned to see Gabby, Amy, and [Friend's F/N]. Gabby ran up and glomped you.

"We missed you sooo much! I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you were gone!" You laughed and squirmed out of her embrace.

"Well, I'm here now. So, what did I miss?" Amy beamed at you and held out a photo. Puzzled, you took it and the groaned. It was of the party, when you had fallen into Ivan's arms. One couldn't see your face since it was buried in his arms. Ivan was chucking in the picture, beaming down at you happily, which made you blush. You then noticed that you could see [Friend's F/N] and Feliciano in the background dancing along with Amy and Gabby talking. Alfred and the Trio were also in the picture, obviously photo bombing it. You couldn't help but smile, reliving the event in your head. Amy held out another copy of the photo to you.

"This one is for Ivan. I've got to say, it's one of Mr. Honda's better ones." You all giggled. [Friend's F/N] took hold of your hand and started leading you down the hall, Amy and Gabby following.

"There isn't a lot else that happened… beside the announcements that the results are being announced tomorrow!" You glanced over at their faces, the anticipation in their eyes, and laughed. As [Friend's F/N]'s voice started droning on about the contest, you zoned out, wondering what would happen.

The result ceremony was scheduled to be in the afternoon. You buzzed around excitedly in the living room, being told off by Ivan constantly to cool it. He was discharged from the hospital that morning, advised to take it easy. He was currently stretched out on the couch, watching you with patient eyes, though you could tell that he was just as excited as you were. For the tenth time, you plopped down next to him, looking around bored. You must have been bugging him because he slipped his arm around you, preventing you from jumping back onto your feet again. You started to calm down a little but then noticed that he was slightly flinching as you leaned against his chest. Before he could protest, you slipped out of his grip and to his room. You grabbed the jar on top of the drawers, glancing happily at the new frame in front. When you had showed him the picture, he had insisted that he framed it, despite your pleading not to. You walked back over to him, lifting up his shirt. You batted away his hands as you applied the new substance to his wounds, which were starting to heal up nicely. He sighed as he wrinkled his nose to the smell. You also moved his scarf to dab some to his neck, which slightly irritated him.

"I hate it when doctors make a big deal out of nothing." You rolled your eyes as you placed the container on the counter. You then glanced at the clock and sighed. Less than an hour before you had to go. Annoyed, you flopped back on the couch. Ivan gave you a knowing smile before flipping the TV on. After going through a few channels, he turned it off, sighing. You snickered slightly.

"You know, I could have told you that." He pointedly ignored you, staring off at the window. You glanced back at the clock and groaned. Standing up, you went to go checkup of the smoothie you had made earlier. As Ivan told you, it was another custom to make a sample for others to try at the results, similar to the party. You frowned slightly, images flashing through your head of the past events. You shook your head, trying not to let your thoughts dwindle upon that. You were so preoccupied that you hadn't noticed Ivan's arms slip around you. You sighed as you leaned back into him, smelling the medicine. You didn't think it was as bad as he made it sound but whatever. After a moment of silence, you sighed. "Do you ever think about what ever happened with Markus?" He shook his head, burying his face in your hair.

"I just hope that he was able to somehow move on… I don't know. I don't recall ever reading about Ghost-Likes when they die. Other Unforgivables usually don't go on somewhere when they die… They are usually trapped in something else till that falls apart…" The mention of such creatures reminded you of Gilbert. You turned to face Ivan, feeling your face flush a little.

"I told Gilbert… about what happened." You braced yourself, expecting Ivan to tell you off or something. Instead, much to your surprise, he nodded. When he saw your hesitation, he hastily explained.

"When I noticed him leave the room after you, I figured he would ask. He has been around me enough to know what an attack of an outside force looks like."

"Oh… I see. He was telling me about how you used to be together."

"Indeed…" You felt curious about what happened in Ivan's past but decided against snooping around.

"Do you think that others are going to ask me about what happened?" He simply shook his head again.

"Even if they don't believe your story, they have enough sense to realize you don't want to tell them. By the way, I was wondering, why did you lie?" You stared up at him, watching as he looked down at your hands sheepishly.

"I don't know, I just thought it would be better than telling them about other creatures and Markus and stuff." He sighed and leaned down, brushing a kiss against your cheek.

"You really didn't have to… though I'm a little relieved you did." You smiled at him, warmth flooding through your chest at his praise. You then looked over at the clock and jumped. Ivan followed your glaze and chucked as he stepped back, allowing you to rush off to do finishing touches on the smoothie and stuff. The same anticipation as before buzzed through you as you shoved Ivan's coat into his hands. Before you could turn around, he grabbed your hand and pulled you to him. He whispered lightly into your ear, making you blush.

"Remember, no matter what happens nothing changes."

You felt your face flush as you walked towards the Cooking grounds. The weather was perfect for an outside event, which allowed the ceremony to take place outside. You stole a glance at Ivan, his face looking calm and collected, though you could tell there was a spark of excitement in his eyes. You blushed and glanced down to your hands, which were twined together. You smiled in spite of yourself. As you got near the ground, you noticed that a crowd was already starting to form, much larger than what you had seen before at the Cook Off. Though you could not recognize anyone. You guess Ivan didn't either because he tugged on your hand and started to walk a little faster. Suddenly, Alfred jumped out right in front of you, causing you to jump.

"DUDES! Roderich wants us to go around to the back so we don't have to deal with "fans and such". Just thought I, as the hero, should let you know." Without warning, he bolted off to "inform" some other unfortunate soul. Groaning, Ivan turned around and started doubling back. You looked at the crowd, puzzled.

"I didn't know there were paparazzi people here." Ivan chuckled as he started slowing down, allowing you to catch up so you could walk side by side with him.

"This is the first they have ever done this actually. Probably because of recent events, they don't want to take any chances." You started feeling a little guilty as you started turning to the left, going pass the Bazar again before slipping down alleyways between the buildings and city wall. Ivan muttered under his breath darkly. "You know, it would be so much easier if he stood by the doors or something…" You silently agreed as you reached a smaller crowd standing in front of a rope blocking off the path. You felt a little more relieved when you picked out Arthur and Francis in the crowd. They must have noticed you too because they walked over. You had then realized you were still holding Ivan's hand and hastily pulled away. Francis gave you a little knowing smile, causing you to blush.

"Are you guys excited to see the results?" You nodded your head.

"Of course we are! Right Ivan?" You glanced over at Ivan, surprised to see that he was looking over at the shadows of the wall. When he turned back to you, you were bothered by the flash of uneasiness on his face. Before you could question, Arthur gave out a small cough.

"Though this year's process is a bloody pain… Rumor has it they are use barriers to keep the others out." you stared at the ground, feeling even guiltier then before. He must have misread your expression because he quickly explained. "The results shouldn't be affected, it's just onlookers will have to watch from afar." You felt a two hands fall on your shoulders. You looked up to see that both Ivan and Francis had done that, Ivan glaring at Francis as he smiled encouragingly to you. You smiled back at both of them, feeling a little better. Arthur opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by a sudden cheer echoed the alleyway. You all glanced up to watch as Roderich and Elizabeta walked over to the rope. Elizabeta raised her hands to silence them, before nodding to Roderich. He pulled out some papers from a folder he was currently carrying, clearing his throat. Alfred had just walked up from behind, placing himself next to Arthur. They exchanged a smile before turning back to the front. You started to zone out as Roderich started up a mini speech on the unfortunate difficulties that were under process and what not. You felt Ivan's fingers coil around yours and he squeezed your hand gently. You felt yourself grin as Elizabeta lean forward and unlatched the rope, stepping gracefully out of the way and the crowd excitedly pushed past. You were about the lunge forward as well but Ivan held you back. When half the people were gone, he finally let you go. You felt a little annoyed but forgot about it as soon as you remembered something.

"So what was so odd about the wall?" He glanced over at your face, suddenly looking tired.

"It's probably just my imagination but I swear I saw…" He shook his head and smiled down at you. "Never mind, it's nothing." You felt dizzy as he turned towards Yao, who had also stayed behind, leaving you to your thoughts.

You were surprised by the transformation of the grounds, besides the obvious clearing of rubble. Ribbons and flags of different countries were placed everywhere, trailing in an odd pattern in the general direction of a huge stage that was placed in the middle of the area. Placed in front of that were rows of folding chairs that were slowly filling up with people. As you got closer, you realized that there were pieces of papers on the chair backs, reading the name of the person and their country's flag. You managed to slip out of Ivan's grip as you began a quest to find your seats. You scanned the group, seeing that Gilbert was waving his arms to get your attention from halfway across the crowd. You smiled as you walked up, Ivan following closely behind. Gilbert gave Ivan a smug look when you reached him.

"Look at that, I get the honor of sitting next to the beautiful [F/N]." Ivan groaned as you blushed, studying your reservation card. Your name was written in fancy colors, with the familiar flag of your country in the corner. You glanced over at Ivan's, which was similar except his flag looked kind of like the comforter and pillows in his room. You hadn't noticed that you had dazed off when arms encircled around you, nearly knocking you over. You turned to see Gabby smiling happily at you.

"Look at that! We get to sit near each other!" You smiled back, starting to feel excited again. Ludwig, Gilbert's younger brother and partner, walked up and pried Gabby off of you, a smile playing on his face as she giggled. She wriggled out of his grasp and ran over to her seat, plopping down in it. You looked up and saw that the judged had started walking up onto the stage, along with Detective Hercules, Roderich, and Elizabeta. You felt Ivan nudge you to your seat before he sat down next to you. His hand moved towards yours, covering it up. Gilbert noticed and flashes a smile at you, which you tried to ignore. The rumbles of the crowd quieted down to mummers as people rushed to their seats. You glazed back to the stage and your eyes met with Hercules'. He gave you a nod as he moved to the microphone. Mutters rippled through the crowd, uneasiness creeping into the air. He waited patiently for it to clear before speaking.

"As you can tell, due to recent… events, we have taken extra… procedures in order to preserve the safety of our… contestants. We would like to take… a moment to apologize… to non-contestants." He nodded over to the huge crowd of people standing behind the rope barrier. You had just noticed them, picking out Kiku from the group looking kind of down. You felt a pang of sympathy before turning back to the stage. Hercules had walked back to where the judges stood as Elizabeta walked forward, smiling proudly.

"Thank you Hercules for that. Now, without further ado, let's begin the results!" Cheers erupted throughout the whole place, people jumping up from their seats. You hadn't noticed that you also did till Ivan pulled you back down. Elizabeta, like Hercules, waited for people to settle down before continuing. "First I would like to thank everyone for making this another memorable year. Also, everyone, if they can, should stick around for the carnival that's starting tomorrow. It's going to be awesome." You noticed that she glanced over in your general direction when she said that. You glanced over at Gilbert, whose face a turned red a bit. You smiled in spite of yourself as you heard Ivan snicker. Elizabeta took a step back for Vash to step forward, accepting the folder from Roderich. He looked nervous as he glanced over the sheet.

"Um, it is time to announce the winners of this year's contest…" Everything went dead silent as people leaned in closer, hanging on to every word. This just made Vash even more uncomfortable as he mumbled in the paper. "3rd place winner is… Arthur Kirkland, with his and his apprentice's Black Streak Salmon!" The audience started cheering as Alfred stood up and walked confidently to the stage, trailed by Arthur. They shook hands with Elizabeta and stood patiently on the stage. Arthur was getting redder by the minute and mirrored Vash in un-comfortableness. The grounds once again became silent as Vash cleared his throat. "2nd place winner is…. Feliciano Vargas, with his and his apprentice's Pasta la Vista!" The same routine happened as Feliciano and [Friend's F/N] walked up happily to the stage. [Friend's F/N]'s face bore a huge grin as her face blossomed red. A shout of "OH YEAH" was heard from the outer side of the rope. You glanced over to see a girl that had similar features to [Friend's F/N] down at the ground, flushing at what she just did. You smiled, making a connection that they were related. You then felt your heart pound. You suddenly thought that maybe Ivan and you would win. You imagined yourself standing on the stage and flushed because of it. You glanced over at Ivan and saw that he was thinking of the same thing. He flashed you a nervous smile before facing the stage. The crowd had gone silent again and was now staring at Vash. He must have finally gotten over his stage fright as he surveyed the audience. "Finally, 1st place winner, Top Chef of this year's Cook Off is… Ian Ski!"


	21. Chapter 21

_Author note: I'm sorry for the delay! You know how it is with… finals and stuff. ^-^' BUT now I'm back! And it finally occurred to me where I left off in the last chapter… oh the horror. But anyway, enough Chit-Chat. Time for the story! I wonder how it will end up. ;3_

You felt a little crest fallen. _I guess there is always next year…_ Pushing the feelings of disappointment back down, you looked back onto the stage to give a smile to the winners. Cept no one had gone up. You just noticed that the crowd was completely still, except for whispering spreading across the area. Someone started clapping awkwardly and stopped abruptly as no one stood up. Vash blushed and flipped madly through the pages, losing all the composure he had recently earned. Matthew had then walked forward and bent over to pick up a slightly crumpled paper from the ground. He tried to hand it over to Vash, who simply shook his head. Frowning, Matthew looked over at Matthias, who was looking the other way. He sighed and faced the audience.

"I'm sorry folks about that. The 1st place winner of our contest is… I-" Suddenly his bear jumped from his arms, his little voice ringing loudly compared to Matthew's.

"IVAN BRAGNISKI!" The crowd erupted in cheering as you gasped. You felt yours hand being tugged on as and you glanced over at Ivan as he stood up, trying to hid his face in his scarf. You stared at him numbly as he tried to walk towards the stage, still trying to comprehend what was happening. Gabby finally slid over and gave you a little shove, giving you an encouraging smile. You let Ivan led you to the stage, your mind slowing to a standstill. Your face was flaming up, ears ringing with the cheering. You looked and saw that Ivan's face also had flushed up a bit, mostly hidden by his scarf. Once on stage, you met [Friend's F/N]'s eyes and finally broke out into a goofy smile. After shaking Elizabeta's hand, you stood next to Ivan; your heart was still beating hard. When the crowd finally settled down, Mathew scooped up his polar bear as he turned to you.

"All of us judged firmly believe that you entry, Blue Bell Dream, was positively one of the most interesting flavor combos ever. As first place winners, you earn a golden mark upon you card along with this." He turned to the table and unveiled a golden trophy of a figurine holding up a basket of food with a smaller figuring sitting at the base with a knife. He handed it to Ivan whose hands were shaking as he gingerly accepted it. "Be sure to go to the Prize Stand later for your random prize." He then went over to talk to the other winners and was mentioning something about sub category prizes being announced next but you had already stopped paying attention. You couldn't wait to tell everyone back home what happened. You glanced over at Ivan, who was still beaming proudly. As you faced each other, his eyes sparkled brightly as he watched you fondly. You felt your heart stop completely as you returned the look. It finally occurred to you what you were denying for the last few minutes. You had won.

You hummed happily at your compartment as you cleaned the counter, not caring that the lighting was dim. You casted a quick glance down to my badge, admiring the elaborate gold design carved into the surface, along with 5 other colorful little designs that twirled around the first, each one in turn representing a sub category you had placed in. The rest of the ceremony had been a blur, only a few noticeable things really stood out to you. Like for example how Gilbert and his group's entry won 4th and Amy's won 5th. As for the misreading of the name, it turns out that Vash accidently read out a name for a ski resort which no one knew how that even happened. Alfred joked that maybe the person typing up the papers had further vacation on the mind but he wasn't even sure. The Prize Stand that Mathew was talking turned out to be this fun little place where anyone could buy a bag that contained a random prize. Winners of any categorical thing could receive one bag only for free. They really meant it when they said the bags could contain anything. You got a little plushie of a [Favorite Animal] while Ivan received a card that said "receive a kiss from your partner". Everyone there laughed and clapped as you fulfilled his prize for him. Just thinking about it still made you blush. You glanced out the window, watching the wind blow the leaves of the trees, casting shadows in the moon's light. _One more week to go… _The door opened, snapping your thoughts to the present. Ivan slipped through the door, giving you a small smile as he walked over. You then realized that you hadn't finished your task and looked back to the counter, continuing to wash it. He stood next to you, silently watching. You could sense that he was still excited about everything. You stole a glance at his badge, which now bore a similar markings to yours, apart from other pattern on there from later years. You heard him chuckle as you felt his arms wrap around you. He leaned over, breathing softly in your ear.

"To think that we won… It's still something I'm trying to comprehend." You mentally agreed with his as you shifted closer, welcoming his warmth. You could feel his heart beat mimic your own as you sighed contently. He moved to place his lips against your forehead, a smile dancing on his lips. Without warning, he gently pushed you up onto the counter, placing his hands on the small of your back. You moved your head towards his and was about to meet him when you froze. You shivered as you felt a familiar presence that has been haunting your mind for a few days. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched as something slipped through the opening of the door, closing it. It moved across the wall, sticking to the shadows the best it could. You didn't need to see its glowing red eyes to know who it was, questions and doubt spilling across your thoughts. Ivan also paused at your hesitation, pushing you from his slightly. Ivan let out a small hiss of frustration as he muttered under his breath. You simple shook your head, trying to figure it out how it happened. The Shape Shifter couldn't be there. You finally voiced one of your thoughts out loud.

"But I thought he died…" You glanced over at the thing as it stalked forward, my old fear attempting to resurface. You hastily pushed it back down, watching the thing warily. The Shape shifter paused a few feet from you. It then tried to take a step forward but instead took one back. You looked over at Ivan, not noticing till now that he had pulled out his pipe. His eyes were a violent purple as they flashed with hatred. Timidly, you placed a hand on his arm, wondering if you would even be able to hold him back. Ivan ignored you as he stared down the creature, his voice turning extremely harsh and deep, which was different from his usual fluffiness. It frightened you a little.

"What do you want?" The Shape shifter flinched and shrunk back into the corner. You noted its behavior as odd but Ivan didn't seem to notice. "I said what do you want?" It shook its head in response, its red eyes diming slightly. You felt curious and slid off the counter, taking a step forward. Ivan shot you a questioning look but didn't attempt to stop you.

"Are you not the Shape shifter? Who are you then?" The thing looked down at the ground then crawled forward into the dim moon light from the window. Ivan tensed up a little and placed his hand on your arm. The thing paid no heed as he stared at the ground.

"Well, I guess they now call me Shape shifter. But I used to be known as Markus." You both stared at it dumbfounded.

"Markus?!" He nodded, still staring at the ground. "How did this happen?"

"I'm not exactly sure myself…" You regarded him curiously as Ivan moaned, burying his head in his hands.

"Please no, don't tell me you…" You glanced over at him, puzzled.

"He what?" Ivan sighed, staring to toss his pipe around in his hands.

"He -Soul Broke- …" Ivan walked up closer to Markus, his expression becoming gloomier by the second. Markus simply stared out the window sadly. You looked at both of them, starting to feel completely lost.

"Um, and that is?" Ivan gave you an exasperated expression.

"I'm not sure what it is myself, though I've read about a long while back." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "It's kind of like how in some groups of animals including people, if an underling is able to overthrow a leader, usually of a high rank then them, they can take over as leader themself. So, it's similar with some types of… creature structures if you will. If a soul of one thing, usually an unstable being that's forced summoned to be in a dimension since they have the least connection between their soul and stuff, are able to successfully overthrow a soul of an ancient creature, since those creatures have stronger magical bounding between the vessel and the earth rather than the soul which causes times of moments or weakness that they… "lose it", the unstable soul is able to transfer into the vessel of the ancient one, shattering that soul in the process so they fully taking over the body." You stared at him blankly as he threw his hands up in defeat. You would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. You both turned to Markus, who sighed.

"I didn't mean to do it. I don't know what I was thinking. I just saw him threatening to kill you and I sort of snapped. I tried to grab him to stop him but… somehow did something entirely different. I felt as if we were suddenly connected together, sensing his every thought that crossed his head as if they were my own. And for the first time ever, he was happy. Well, that was before his "soul", as you put it, disappeared. Which left me to sink in to the "vessel" as my old one disintegrated." He looked down at his hands, which morphed into claws then back to hands. "I never realized till then how lonely he was, to be constantly treated as a side attraction." You noticed that Ivan nodded solemnly as if agreeing but you didn't let your mind dwell on this. "Now I have nowhere to go… so…" He got up and faced Ivan, his eyes glowing. "I want you to kill me." Ivan took a startled step back, bumping into the wall.

"W-what?"

"I said I want you to kill me."

"No! I can't do that!" Markus took a step closer, his fingers starting to extend to Ivan.

"But you have to! You can't leave me like this, to be forever alone like every other soul that's been in this body! You of all people should know what it's like!" Ivan kept shaking his head. Markus's claws started getting dangerously close to him. You instinctively jumped between them.

"Markus! You can't just ask him to kill you!" He glared at you, causing shivers down your spine.

"I have nowhere to go, so why should I stay like this? Technically, I should be dead, since it's much better than being something everyone fears. Besides, it's not like it's anything new to him!"

"Bu-" Ivan placed his hand on your shoulder, cutting you off.

"Don't worry [F/N], it's alright." You looked up to his face, seeing tears forming in the corner of his eyes. You flinched, wondering if what Markus said hit close to home. You hoped not. He walked forward to Markus, taking his pipe back out. "So all I need to do is to hit you?" Markus nodded. Ivan sighed. You felt your heart cry out as you looked away towards the door.

"No… this can't be…" You stared at the décor as your heart pounded. You thought desperately _if there was only somewhere else that could harbor Markus; that he could be around things he loved…_ You suddenly realized that there maybe could be a place. You whipped around to see that Ivan was preparing to swing down upon Markus. "STOP!" Ivan twitched, turning to face you, his eyes full of curiosity. Markus just looked annoyed. You took a deep breath, slightly proud that you weren't too late. "Maybe… you could live here?" They both regarded you carefully. Ivan cocked his head to the side.

"You mean like bonding him here?" You had no idea what he meant but you nodded anyway. Markus shook his head.

"I don't see how that would work out for me..."

"You wouldn't be alone. You could watch people cook and maybe help make their food better by enhancing it, like what happened with the plants. Who knows? Maybe you could even talk to them." Markus looked down at the ground thoughtfully.

"Hmm… You know, that doesn't sound so bad." Ivan jumped on the idea right away.

"You wouldn't get lonely and people would be happy for your help, da?!" You smiled slightly as Ivan started talking excitedly in Russian. Markus simply shrugged his shoulders, still not totally sure.

"Yeah, I guess it could work…" A slowly grin spread across his face as you nodded eagerly.

"So now all we need to do is bound you!" Markus nodded back. He pointed over at the drawer. Puzzled, you opened it and gasped. In it was the same black pin, though the bead on this one was of a sun. _It's almost seems like it stalks us everywhere. _Gently, you picked it up. Markus appeared right next to you.

"Now all you need to do is stab me and the contract is sealed." Ivan instantly came between you two, facing you.

"No, you don't need to do it! Let me!" Markus snorted and tried to push him out of the way.

"Like I would want to be bounded to you any longer then I have to. Then it really would be eternal…" Ivan glared at him, and then turned back to you, his eyes pleading. You tried to give him a brave smile as you attempted to walk around him to Markus..

"It's alright Ivan, I've got this." Ivan opened his mouth to protest but closed it, studying you up and down. He then sighed, knowing he probably couldn't convince you not to do it. Not verbally anyway. Shaking slightly, you positioned the pin above Markus's chest. You felt Ivan's hand enclose around yours as he brought it up slightly at a different angle.

"We do it together." He looked down at you with a stubborn pout. You tried to shake your hand out of his but couldn't, casting a questioning glance at Markus. He tapped his foot impatiently, obviously not caring anymore what happened. You felt grateful as you took a deep breath then brought it down with Ivan. When you felt it connect with something, energy started to sputter and swirl around the room as Markus let out a content sigh. You suddenly started to feel dizzy, exhaustion taking over, and swayed backwards, falling against Ivan. Lights started flickering in the room, blinding you. You could barely make out Markus, seeing him laughing happily as his black form unraveled around him, revealing his original shape. Then all went dark. Looking around curiously, you steadied yourself back onto your feet. You walked over to the station across from where you stood, only to jump back with a yelp. Ivan ran over to see what the matter was and sighed with relief. Markus laughed as he hopped onto of the counter and disappeared again.

"This is amazing!" You shook your head, suddenly feeling mentally drained. You could tell Ivan felt the same as he started to steer you to the door.

"Looks like we won't have any more privacy here." You let out a tired giggle as you looked back. Markus was grinning as he waved to you.

"See yah later!"


	22. Chapter 22

You crept out of bed, sleep blurring your vision. You hadn't remembered getting into bed, noticing how you were still in your clothes. You figured that Ivan must have carried you in. You glanced over at the digital clock on the dresser and groaned out loud. It was nearly 2 PM. Muttering a curse, you rolled onto the ground. You got up and caught your reflection in the mirror. You studied it for a second of so, debating if you should change into something new. You decided you might as well and walked over your dresser, still under a sleepy haze. Half way through the process, Ivan poked his head in. You froze, thankful that you hadn't turned the lights fully on.

"IVAN!"

"What? I thought you were sleeping for a super long time so I-" He paused and looked you up and down. His face went red as he shut the door. You tried to calm yourself as you hurried up, though knowing he probably wouldn't check up on my till you came out. With your heart still slightly racing, you slipped out to the hall. Moving to the living room, you saw that Ivan was sitting on the couch, his head buried in a pillow. You bit your lip to keep yourself from giggling, he looked so adorable. You placed your hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. He glanced back at you, and blushed again.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I…" He pressed his face back into the pillow. You suppressed another laugh as you sat onto the couch, leaning against him.

"Just knock in the future, okay?" Wordlessly, he nodded. You finally let out a chuckle, which made him blush even more. Slowly, you tried to pry the pillow from his hands. Now that you thought about it, you don't recall ever seeing him so flustered. He stubbornly wouldn't let go of the pillow. Finally, you decided to leave him alone, turning on the TV. You sat there in silence while watching Kiku report about the events of the Results, along with interviews of some of the contestants. You looked over at Ivan, noticing he was staring at you. He flushed but didn't look away. Instead, he leaned in closer.

"You know, I still haven't been able to celebrate fully with you for our accomplishment." Your mind drew a blank, not quite sure what he was getting at. He pushed the pillow to the ground as he wrapped you in his arms. His familiar scent drifted around you as you felt your face grow hotter as he started kissing your neck gently, trailing up to your cheek. You let out a sigh of pure content as he placed his lips on yours. You felt your heart once again leap into the same dance as your tongues touched. You broke for a second, both breathing heavily. You felt yourself hypnotized by his amethyst eyes as he pressed kisses against the corners of your mouth. You ran your hands through his hair, feeling its silkiness. He chuckled slightly as he leaned over to your ear. "You will stay for a while, Da?" Breathlessly, you nodded. He seemed satisfied as he drifted back to your lips. Before you connected again, you felt something buzz, breaking the moment. You both looked down to your phone as it continued to buzz. Ivan mumbled a curse in Russian as you slipped your hand down to grab it. "It seems like the whole world doesn't want us alone…" He sighed as he lay down on top of you, making it harder to answer the phone.

"H-hello?" You managed to squeak out, not bothering to keep the irritation out of your voice.

"[F/N]? What are you doing?"

"MOM?!" You tried to get up but let out a muffled moan. Ivan gave you a stubborn look, not wanting to move. You glared at him. "Ivan, m-move!"

"Are you talking to your mentor person? What are you doing?" You could tell she was getting annoyed. You tried to roll onto the floor. With a sigh, Ivan released you, sending you tumbling down instead.

"Ow…."

"For goodness sakes, what are you doing?!" You shot another glare at Ivan, who just looked back at you lazily, though his eyes were still shined playful. You stood up and walked down the hallway to your room, leaning against your door.

"Nothing mom, just… helping Ivan move some… furniture around. Yeah… furniture."

"Oh… well okay." She paused, as if hesitating. "Are you enjoying yourself?" You smiled, starting to feel excited.

"Of course! It's so amazing! Everyone is super nice and… everything!" You heard her sigh, suddenly all your excitement disappearing. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Honey… we are going to need you to come home." You froze, your chest going numb.

"But why?" She sighed again.

"Sweetie, your father got into an accident." You gasped.

"I-is he okay?"

"The doctor says he is going to be perfectly fine. He should heal within a few weeks. But, we don't half anyone else to run the store…"

"What about [Sibling's F/N]? Can't he do it?"

"You know if he could we wouldn't have asked you. I know how much you wanted to go there but you know that you needed to come home some point… so we figured…"

"No! You didn't figure out anything! Mom, I love it here. I was planning to stay another week! Why do I have to come home?" You knew it was selfish but you couldn't help but feel like you were getting ripped off.

"[F/N, M/N, and L/N]!" You flinched at the use of your full name. "There is not use arguing! You know the store is the main income for our family. I don't care how much you want to stay, this comes first!" You bit your lip, keeping yourself from retorting back.

"Yes mom…" She sighed again.

"Thank you sweetheart. See you home in a few days. I love you. Bye."

"Bye…" You hung up and looked back to the living room. With a sigh, you went to your bedroom, shutting the door quietly.

You sat on the bed, staring down at the pile of clothes at your feet. It was dark in the room, despite the light streaming through the window. You have recently been starting to feel more relaxed in the dark oddly enough, currently needing that comfort now more than ever. With a sigh, you started tossing the clothes into your bag. When finished with the task, you tried to pull the zipper shut but failed at doing so. You sighed, flopping backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. _Everything was going perfectly fine before…_

"So I take it you're not staying for the carnival?" You sat straight up, to see Ivan standing in the doorway, leaning on the wall. You looked away, him being the last person you wanted to see. Bowing your head shamefully, you nodded. He didn't say anything. He walked up to your bag, pulling the clothes out. You looked at him surprised, but then realized he was folding them back. You felt useless so you helped him. You worked silently, till the bag was finally able to close. Ivan stood back up and glanced over at the dresser, which was still covered in objects. You laughed nervously.

"Looks like there is a lot I'm going to have to leave behind." Ivan tried to suppress a smile.

"Not quiet." He walked out of the room, only to return shortly with a delicate bag covered with elaborate embroideries. From them, you only could recognize the Firebird from a myth you read when you were a little girl. You gasped.

"N-no! I can't take something like that…" Ivan chuckled.

"Of course you can! My sister made it especially for my new apprentice, whoever it was. There wasn't any convenient time to give it to you till now." You blushed as you took it from his hands. Despite its appearance, it was quite durable. You nodded your thanks and started placing the objects inside it. You waited for Ivan to leave but he didn't. Without warning, he slipped his arms around you, nearly causing you to drop the picture frame. Timidly, you placed it down, your heart starting to beat faster.

"Umm, Ivan?"

"Mmm?"

"Ah, I've got to continue packing so I will be all set tomor-"

"Did I do something wrong?" You whipped around to face him, staring up to his eyes.

"What makes you say that?" He sighed, brushing his bangs to the side, making your heart skip a beat. He really was too sexy for his own good.

"I don't know, I thought that you didn't want to be around me anymore… given that you're leaving without much notice…" You felt flustered as you glanced over at your phone on the bed.

"Of course it's not that! Ivan, I…" You let out a cough, thankful for the darkness to hide my face. "I received a call from my mom…. My dad was hurt in an accident so now I have to go back and run the store till he is better…Trust me, if I could, I would stay. But… I c-can't." You tried to keep your cool but was slowly losing it. Ivan paused for a moment then hugged you. He seemed relived, oddly enough. He gave you a tight squeeze before walking out of the room. Though he paused at the doorway, casting a glance back.

"Talk to me when you have finished. We should do something special before you go."

"Alright…" You turned back to your stuff, wishing that you could stay. Knowing there would be no use to in backing out now, you grudging went back to work.

Ivan led you down the steps, in a lighter mood then earlier. You were still frustrated that you had taken so long with packing, though Ivan didn't seem to mind.

"Are we nearly there yet?" He chuckled, casting a glance back at you.

"No, not yet." You pouted, staring out the windows. The sun was starting to disappear behind the tree lines. You told Ivan early that you should probably rest since you had to catch a train at the crack of dawn but he simply waved it off, saying you could sleep on the train itself. When you got to the door of the main level, you glanced at Ivan curiously as he reached out and turned the handle, pushing the door open. The room was completely dark. He turned to you and pushed you in. When you were a good five steps in, he closed the door. You sat there for a moment, doing nothing. Finally, you glanced over at Ivan, or at least what you thought to be his general direction.

"So, what's the point of coming her-?"

"SURPRISE!" You jumped back as the lights turned on. The room was decked out with decorations and banners. From behind chairs and tables popped out people. You looked around, noticing that you recognized almost everyone.

"W-what's this for?" Alfred stepped forward from the group, carrying a balloon.

"We had early decided to celebrate your first victory of the contest. But when Ivan told us you were going home early, we settled on doing it early, sort of a "See yah later" party!" You turned to Ivan, totally shocked.

"You did this for me?" Ivan nodded. Smiling, you threw yourself in his arms, planting a kiss on his lips. Everyone cheered. Gilbert started laughing, which received a glare from Ivan.

"Well, that's certainly one way to start a party!"

The party had lasted all the way to 5 in the morning. In your opinion, it was much more amazing then the one after the Cook Off. We had many complaints about noise, which everyone brushed off. Roderich once even came in to see what the commotion was about but just left right away. Near the end, most of the people had crashed, but not before wishing you a safe journey. You sighed as you looked at the clock, willing it to be yesterday. You then surveyed the cluttered room, taking note of the last of the people left. Gilbert, Alfred, Gabby, Ludwig, [Friend's F/N], Amy were still hanging about. And of course Ivan, who didn't leave your side for the whole party. Arthur was still technically there too but he was leaning against Alfred, sleeping. Alfred then caught your eyes and came to you. He putted out his free hand, which you gladly accepted.

"Hey, have a safe journey back! You better come back next year, or we will come and drag you back." He winked and started dragging Arthur to the door. You nodded your thanks before being glomped by Gabby.

"Yeah, you better come back! It wouldn't be the same without you!" Ludwig had to pry her off you as he nodded.

"Good luck." He looked over at Gilbert, who also came forward. You expected him to tease you or something but instead he wrapped you up in a hug. Ivan shoved him off instantly. He smirked at Ivan before running off behind Ludwig and Gabby. Amy then came to you, giving you a smaller hug.

"We should cook together again sometime." You smiled. She followed to crowd as [Friend's F/N] walk up.

"You are coming back, no matter what!" She turned to Ivan. "If she doesn't you're going to drag her here for us, right?" Ivan chuckled and put a hand on your shoulder.

"Da, Of course I will." Ashley nodded, satisfied. She gave you a big bear hug.

"I'm going to miss you."

"Yeah, I am going to miss all of you guys." She took a step back, giving you one last goofy grin.

"See you next year!" You smiled and nodded. She then ran out the door. You turned to Ivan, noticing you were alone. He looked to you and smiled sadly.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah..."


	23. Chapter 23

The air was nice a crisp. The sun was just peeking its head out between the trees as you stood outside the train. You looked down at the ground, feeling really sad. You gripped the handle of your bags, continuing to stare down at the ground. Ivan stood in front of you, doing the same. The silence between you two was starting to become awkward. You couldn't stand it anymore. You didn't think he could either.

"Ivan, I-"

"[F/N], I-" We both flushed, waiting again for the other to speak. After another moment, you took a step closer to him.

"Ivan, I just want to say thank you for everything. It was amazing. We should do it again, that is if you want to…" Ivan smiled as he drew you closer.

"I was going to say I did too. I hope that next year you will consider being my apprentice again." You brushed a kiss against his lips.

"I would love that." He flushed as the train whistle blew, the conductor yelling out "_All Aboard!_" You sighed as you turned around.

"I-I guess I have to go…"

"Da…"

"I'm going to miss you Ivan."

"So am I… but don't worry, we will see each other soon." You gave him one last smile and jumped onto the train. You flashed my ticket to the conductor and plopped down on a seat. Sighing sadly, you looked out the window, to see Ivan standing outside it. Laughing, you opened the window up, sticking halfway out it.

"You weren't kidding about seeing each other soon." You both laughed before going back to an awkward silence.

"You know, you really should see Aelite. It's really pretty, with the snow and the trees and everything." You nodded, still smiling.

"I would love that." Ivan nodded also.

"Maybe you will. So really, it won't be long till we will be together again…" You tipped your head to the side, about to ask him what he meant when the train whistled again. Slowly, it started creeping forward. Ivan stayed aside the window. "I'll miss you till then." You tried to ask him what he meant when he leaned forward, giving you on final kiss. When the train picked up speed you broke apart. You casted a glance back, watching him run along the train, waving his hand. You waved back till you came into the tunnel. You then leaned back in your seat, tracing your fingers along your lips with a small smile dancing upon them.

_*~Epilogue~*_

Washing the dishes, you looked back at [Brother's F/N] and smiled. He just looked back at you oddly and shook his head, walking out of the room. Still smiling, you glanced over at the bag hanging on the wall. You studied it intently as you always did that you didn't notice your father walk in. He nodded briefly before walking out the front door, off to work. He had made a full recover, thankfully; now back to working which left you with nothing to do but chores. Putting the rag and dish down, you sighed, leaning against the counter. You glanced over at the new blender you had recently bought, debating whether to make something or not. Shrugging your shoulders, you walked over to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

"I'm so bored!" [Brother's F/N] walked back in, shaking his head.

"I really think your brain got messed up when you went to that contest thingy. You never used to complain before… or acted friendly to me." Mocking a shiver, he walked to the window, staring out. "Hey, it looks like mail is here!"

"You go get it. It's your turn anyway." He nodded and went out the front. You sighed as the family [Whatever] ran over and jumped up on you, sensing that you was lonely. Laughing, you tried to push it off but instead was pushed to the ground. "Ivan, get off of me!" You froze, realizing your slip up. With another sigh, you sat up, petting [Whatever]. It had been a month since you left. "You know…" You turned to face the [Whatever], "I guess I should start helping dad out with the store… since I'm probably going to be the next to inherit and all…" You stared at the window, letting my thoughts start to drift when [Brother's F/N] came charging in.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a lover in Russia!" You looked at him startled.

"What do you mean?" By then your mom had walked in, a frown on her face.

"What is it?" Shaking his head, he handed it to you. You looked down at the letter in your hands, frowning. The words were in a different language, making it hard to distinguish. Except for the main address, which was your own. Cautiously, you turned it around. You casted a questioning glance to your mother, who simply nodded. You tore the lid off, bringing out a paper that was folded neatly. As you unfolded it, a ticket of some sort fell out. You glanced at the paper, thankful that the words were in your own language. You felt your heart flutter as you read, though you already knew you had made up your mind to accept.

_Dear [F/N and L/N]_

_I really miss you. Recently I have been lazing around the house, which was scaring both of my sisters. So Katyusha thought it would be for the best if I invited you here. (Though Natalia, my younger sister, was strongly opposed to the idea...) I would like to make the proposition for you to come live with me and work in my little café shop. If you decide to accept, enclosed is a one way plane ticket to Aelite. I hope you will consider coming, which would make me so happy. I await for you arrive. Just send me an email to let me know. I really hope to hear from you. _

_~Ivan Bragniski_

_P.S. I love you_


	24. Author's Note

_Author's Note:_

_I've just got to say one thing. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Okay, glad I got that out of my system. But seriously, thanks! I enjoy reading all of your reviews and what you thought of my story. Those always made my day. :D Also I would like to throw thank yous to those who helped me out with creating the story when I was stuck in writer's blocks. Thank you to my friends _

_Ashley, Casey, Gabby-chan, Hannah, Sabrina, Carly, and Ann! :3 _

_Thank you ladyphantomhive101!_

_All of you made my first story to ever be finished and up one of the most enjoyable experiences ever! Seriously, I can't say it enough to express what I feel. You guys are awesome! _

_Now, will you guys all become one with Russia with me, da? ;)_


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